On Storm Tossed Seas
by MoonTrail
Summary: This was my first ever fanfic written nearly 10 years ago. I will likely never finish it.
1. Appendix A: Hermione's Schedule

After much work and research, this is the schedule of classes for Hermione. All classes are with Harry/Ron except for Arithmancy. This information is not vital, I just thought some people might like to know. =) Besides, like I said, I worked hard on this. If you know who Gryffindor is paired with for other classes, let me know. Please give me a book and page, as well, just so I can verify. Thanks.  
  
Some extra info. Double classes last for an hour and a half (GOF, pg. 297) As I have not found information on how long a regular class lasts, I have decided to have them last forty-five minutes. If you find information that is different, please let me know.  
  
I have chosen to group two years of students together for the purposes of Astronomy. Seeing as there is very little information in cannon about this class, besides that it meets at midnight and is taught by Professor Sinistra, I have chosen to do it this way. If you find information otherwise, again, let me know.  
  
Thank you to: CatalinaRose for the information about Hufflepuffs.  
  
  
  
MONDAY  
  
6-8 AM ------------------------------- Sailing with Slytherin  
  
9-10:30 --------------------------------- Double DADA  
  
10:30-1:00 ----------------------------- Lunch Break  
  
1-2:30 ------------------------- Double Herbology (with Hufflepuff COS pg. 93)  
  
3:00-3:45 ----------------------------- Charms  
  
6-------------------------------- Dinner  
  
8 ------------------------------- Students must be in Common Rooms  
  
  
  
TUESDAY  
  
9-9:45 ----------------------------- Transfiguration  
  
10:15-11:00 ------------------------ Care of Magical Creatures (with Sly)  
  
11:00-1:00 -------------------------- Lunch Break  
  
1-1:45 -------------------------------- Herbology (with Hfpf)  
  
2:15-3---------------------------------- History of Magic  
  
3:30-4:15 ----------------------------- Charms  
  
6----------------------------------------- Dinner  
  
8 ----------------------------------------- Students must be in Common Rooms  
  
12-12:45 AM ----------------------- Astronomy (with Sly) (includes both fifth and sixth years)  
  
  
  
WEDNESDAY  
  
9-9:45 ----------------------------- DADA  
  
10:15-11:00 ------------------------ Care of Magical Creatures (with Sly)  
  
11:00-1:00 -------------------------- Lunch Break  
  
1-1:45 -------------------------------- Potions (with Sly)  
  
2:15-3---------------------------------- History of Magic  
  
3:30-4:15 ----------------------------- Charms  
  
6----------------------------------------- Dinner  
  
8 ----------------------------------------- Students must be in Common Rooms  
  
  
  
THURSDAY  
  
9-9:45 ----------------------------- Transfiguration  
  
10:15-11:00 ------------------------ Care of Magical Creatures (with Sly)  
  
11:00-1:00 -------------------------- Lunch Break  
  
1-1:45 -------------------------------- Herbology (with Hfpf)  
  
2:15-3---------------------------------- Potions (with Sly)  
  
3:30-4:15 ----------------------------- Advanced Arithmancy (mixed)  
  
6----------------------------------------- Dinner  
  
8 ----------------------------------------- Students must be in Common Rooms  
  
12-12:45 AM --------------------- Astronomy (with Sly) (includes both fifth and sixth years)  
  
  
  
FRIDAY  
  
9-10:30 --------------------------------- Double Transfiguration  
  
10:30-1:00 ----------------------------- Lunch Break  
  
1-2:30 ------------------------- Double Potions (with Sly)  
  
3:00-3:45 ----------------------------- Advanced Arithmancy  
  
6-------------------------------- Dinner  
  
8 ------------------------------- Students must be in Common Rooms 


	2. A New Class

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything in the Harry Potter world, except my plot.  
  
Chapter 1: A New Class  
  
"Move it, mudblood!"  
  
Hermione jumped at the sharp command dropping the book she had been engrossed in. She glared up to find herself looking into the steel gray eyes of Malfoy.  
  
"Oh, look who it is. The son of the Death Eater," she glared, reaching for the book she had dropped.  
  
They stared daggers at each other before each moving their own way, Draco, as usual, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. 'Really,' thought Hermione, 'he is such a jerk.'  
  
"Hey, Hermione," a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts, "wait up."  
  
She turned, a smile painting itself across her features as she watched the tall, lanky form of Harry moving down the hall.  
  
"What did Malfoy want?" he questioned, a cold look crossing his normally warm features.  
  
"Oh, him? Nothing." They walked down the hall heading towards their Charms class. "He was just being his typical jerk self."  
  
"Just checking." Harry ran a hand through his ever unkempt hair. "You know, I am surprised that Dumbledore has let him continue here. What with his father being so involved in everything that happened last year." A fleeting look of pain crossed his face as unwanted memories tugged at him.  
  
"Well, Dumbledore has always been known to believe in second chances," Hermione intoned as her hand reached to push open the door for Professor Flitwick's class.  
  
"I know," Harry murmured, stopping and leaning against the wall. "I just wonder if---"  
  
"Come on, Harry," Hermione interrupted. "Ron is saving us seats, we can worry about this later," she said, reaching up with her right hand to rest it gently on his shoulder. "I know that there is a lot to understand and figure out, but right now, we must focus on our classes. We have to take OWLs this year, remember?"  
  
Harry gently grasped Hermione's right hand and brought it down to cup between his two larger ones, looking down into her warm brown eyes. "Yeah, I know. It's just been a rough summer," he said, a small sigh escaping him. The door suddenly burst open causing both Hermione and Harry to jump.  
  
"Hey, there you guys are!" Ron exclaimed. "Are you coming, or what?"  
  
"Yeah, we're coming," Hermione said, sharing a last look with Harry.  
  
  
  
"Boy, Professor Flitwick certainly was excited about teaching us Glitter Charms today," Ron muttered, unsuccessfully attempting to brush the obstinate glitter off his robes. "Geez, I mean, what is the purpose of a Glitter Charm anyhow?"  
  
Harry and Hermione laughed at him.  
  
"Thanks for you support," Ron smirked.  
  
"Oh, Ron," Hermione attempted to muffle her laughter, "we're not really laughing at you, but you do look ridiculous with glitter still trickling out of your hair." At that both Harry and Hermione practically fell to the floor in peals of laughter.  
  
"Ha, ha, very funny," Ron said, performing a quick spell to end the offense trickle of glitter. "May we move on now? I'm starving."  
  
After composing themselves, Harry and Hermione grinned at each other and followed after a still annoyed Ron. They reached the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, took their customary places and began to heap various foods onto their dinner plates.  
  
"What classes are you taking this year, Hermione?" Ron asked, taking a bite of fried chicken. "I mean, besides the eight with us?"  
  
"Oh, you know, pretty much the same as last year. I will be taking Advanced Arithmancy on Thursdays and Fridays, and then all the others with you two," she commented, pausing to pick up a pitcher of pumpkin juice. "I am really looking forward to Arithmancy this year. We will be having a guest professor in our class. From what I've heard, he's brilliant," she answered as she finished pouring some pumpkin juice into her glass.  
  
"Do you know who the new professor is?" Harry asked, passing a platter of poached pears to Neville.  
  
"No," she answered, "but if Dumbledore choose him, he must be good."  
  
"Yeah, 'cause we all know how good Professor Lockhart was," Ron stated, receiving a glare from Hermione and a grin from Harry. Before they could continue their discussion, Professor Dumbledore stood up, the silence in the room occurring almost instantaneously.  
  
"Good evening, students. I hope that you have all enjoyed your first three days back at Hogwarts," he commented. "I also trust that all the first years had very few problems getting to classes on time. I have a brief announcement that I hope will be met with much enthusiasm." His eyes twinkled like stars as he surveyed the room, pausing to catch the eyes of various students.  
  
"We will be adding a new class to everyone's schedule.," he paused as the room broke into groans. Patiently, he put his hand up and waited until all eyes were back on him. "Now, hold on, let me finish," he smiled. "Everyone will be taking a new class to prepare them for a two week long field trip we will all be going on in April. Your prefects will provide more information to you this evening at eight o'clock in your common rooms. Thank you. You may continue your feasting," he concluded, sitting down to enjoy his own feast.  
  
"Are you serious? Another class? He's lost it, he really has!" Ron complained.  
  
"We get the point, Ron!" Hermione interrupted.  
  
"I wonder where we're going to go, on the field trip?" Harry mused.  
  
"I bet it's something really cool," Ron stated firmly, quickly getting caught up in the idea of two weeks out of class, even if it wasn't for eight more months. "Maybe we'll go to Romania and learn how to handle dragons!" he said, wistfully.  
  
"Oh, be serious, Ron!" Hermione huffed. "Dumbledore wouldn't take us to someplace so dangerous."  
  
"Dragons aren't all that dangerous," he countered. "Charlie works with them all the time, and he's."  
  
"Well trained, and eight months is not going to get us 'well trained'" Hermione interrupted.  
  
"Yeah, but he wasn't always," Ron muttered.  
  
"I hope that whatever it is, it's not some silly little romp," Hermione intoned.  
  
"Knowing Dumbledore, it will be a little of everything, don't you think?" questioned Harry.  
  
"You're probably right," Hermione agreed.  
  
Stomachs full, the three Gryffindors stood and moved out of the hall.  
  
"Hurry up, guys. I'm going to try and get some studying done for Arithmancy before the meeting," said Hermione, as they moved amongst the crowds of students.  
  
"You haven't even had the class yet," complained Ron. "How do you know what to study?"  
  
"Well, I'm going to brush up, then," she corrected.  
  
"Yeah, you would do something like that," Ron grumbled.  
  
"What's with you?" she frowned. "Why are you so concerned that I'm going to study tonight?"  
  
"Oh, just ignore Ron," Harry interjected. "He's just feeling guilty because he hasn't even started on tomorrow's Divination homework that was given on Monday."  
  
"Then Ron, you should get out your books and we can study together," she suggested.  
  
"Oh, it's no use trying to get him to do that," Harry said, knowingly.  
  
"And why, may I ask, not?" Hermione asked.  
  
"He's planning on meeting."  
  
"Shut up, Harry," Ron growled.  
  
Harry grinned innocently at Ron.  
  
"Who are you meeting?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"None of your business," Ron grumbled, glaring at Harry once again.  
  
"Are you keeping secrets from me? From your best friend?" Hermione asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.  
  
"Yes! No! I mean.'fairy rings'," he concluded, escaping into the Gryffindor common room as the Pink Lady yawned.  
  
"Ron!" Hermione screeched, giving chase as a bemused Harry followed at a slower pace.  
  
  
  
Thirty minutes later, a dejected Hermione sat at one of the tables by the window burying herself in Arithmancy, still fuming about where Ron had disappeared to. Harry was patiently playing Neville a game of wizard's chess, trying hard to not win too quickly. Over the past hour the room had become rather crowed as the students congregated. There was a hushed level of excitement in the room as the many Gryffindors attempted various activities to pass the time.  
  
Ron crept back into the common room just as Dean Thomas, the Gryffindor prefect, entered the room.  
  
"Okay, everyone, pay attention," Dean stated, and the room dropped to a complete silence.  
  
"As Dumbledore announced, next week we will be staring a new class to prepare us for our upcoming field trip. The goal of this class, and trip, is to build inter-house relations in the midst of hard work," he paused to let the groans die out.  
  
"Now, what we are going to be doing is very exciting. But first, let me tell you which houses each year will be grouped with. First years will be with first years, second years with second, etcetera."  
  
"First years, Hufflepuff."  
  
"Second years, Hufflepuff."  
  
"Third years, Ravenclaw."  
  
"Fourth years, Ravenclaw."  
  
"Fifth years, Slytherin."  
  
"WHAT!?" interjected a shocked Ron.  
  
Dean glanced up, glared at Ron, and continued.  
  
"Sixth years, Slytherin."  
  
"Seventh years, Ravenclaw."  
  
"Now, as to where we are going. Dumbledore has procured the use of several sailing ships. You will be given a new schedule to reflect your added class. Classes will only meet once a week. All other information will be given in your class by one of your professors," he concluded, turning to head back to the prefects common room.  
  
"Well, of all the bloody luck!" Ron bellowed, once again. "To be stuck with a bunch of mangy Slytherin's for another dumb class!"  
  
Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement. 


	3. The New Professor

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything in his world.  
  
Summary: (Chp.1) Dumbledore announces a field trip and a new class to prepare for the trip. Fifth year Gr/Sly are to be grouped together.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 2: The New Professor  
  
Hermione eagerly marched to her Advanced Arithmancy class on Thursday. At least the new class could be forgotten until Friday evening. She was ready to throw herself into her favorite subject once again. Nodding to a fellow Gryffindor she took her seat, preparing her supplies quickly. Then, they waited.  
  
"Good afternoon," Professor Vector chimed, entering from a side door. "It is so wonderful to see you all again. As you know, this is the Advanced Arithmancy class, and will, therefore, be quite a bit more challenging than your previous years.  
  
"You may have also heard that this year you will be having a guest instructor. That information is correct. Though I enjoy teaching Arithmancy, the opportunity to have this particular instructor is not something to pass up.  
  
"Before I introduce your instructor, let me tell you a bit about him. He has worked for the last thirty years for the Ministry of Magic. When he first began at the Ministry, the subject of Arithmancy was considered, by most, unnecessary. However, his work in the area brought about a paradigm shift in the way that the public viewed Arithmancy. He has proven, through much sweat and hard work, just how vital Arithmancy is to the everyday lives of all.  
  
"After ten years of hard work, he completed a paper entitled, ::The Shifting Sands of Arithmancy::. In this work, he explained, in simplistic terms, the importance of Arithmancy and proved that many theories, both his and his predecessors, were, in fact, valid.  
  
"He won the prestigious Jonas Wizard Award, and was given a promotion and a new job title, Minister of Arithmantic Theories. He has been working steadily at his job these last number of years, but has grown weary of the daily grind. He called Dumbledore; Dumbledore contacted me; and now you are privileged to have Dr. Gavin Branefeld for your instructor this year," Professor Vector concluded.  
  
"Dr. Branefeld, you may come forward."  
  
"Why thank you so much for your introduction," he replied in a warm voice, as he moved his way down the aisle. "Arithmancy," he began, adjusting his wire rimmed glasses, through which he peered with deep blue eyes, "is a subject worthy of your full devotion. Through a proper and deep involvement of the subject, you will find your life to be enhanced," he paused, ran a hand through his still thick mane of dark blond hair, and looked each student in the eye.  
  
Hermione grinned at him when his eyes met hers. Here was a person who understood exactly how she felt about Arithmancy.  
  
"Well, I don't know what we are waiting for," he chuckled. "Shall we begin?" With that he dove into the most exciting and challenging lesson Hermione had yet had.  
  
  
  
"How was your new class?" Harry asked Hermione, ducking as one of the Weasley twins' new Weasley's Wizard Wheezes invention buzzed over his head, only to explode with a loud snapping sound as it hit the wall. Harry glared at Fred, who gave an innocent shrug before turning back to whisper conspiratorially with George.  
  
"Oh, it was incredible," Hermione breathed, her face lighting up as she thought about the wonderful things she had learned today.  
  
"Who is the guest instructor?"  
  
"Dr. Gavin Branefeld. I should have guessed," she said, turning to grab both of Harry's hands. "I read his work in the library two years ago. I found it simply amazing!," she exclaimed, practically jumping with excitement. "I find him simply amazing! The way he is able to bring alive the subject is simply amazing! This year, Arithmancy is going to be."  
  
"Simply amazing?" teased Harry.  
  
She grinned sheepishly at him. "Yeah," she giggled, letting go of Harry. "Sorry for being a little excited, it's just, I couldn't have asked for a better year."  
  
"Sorry to burst your bubble," Ron chimed in, side-stepping a large, flying ball of liquid that burst into a cloud of glitter over a first year, causing her to shriek. Peals of laughter could be heard from the corner of the room as two red heads prepared another onslaught.  
  
"I mean, how could this be a good year when we have to have another class with Slytherin?" he groaned.  
  
"Oh, Ron," an exasperated Hermione sighed. "It won't be that bad. It's only for two hours a week."  
  
"TWO HOURS!?" he yelled, his facing turning red in anger. Everyone turned to look at him, the room instantly quiet, his face now red from embarrassment. A loud squawking from the Weasley twins' corner turned the attention off him. To the amusement of all, Fred had sprouted a beak.  
  
"Serves him right," muttered a student, several nodding heads silently agreeing.  
  
"Two hours?" he questioned again, quietly.  
  
Hermione shook her brown head in amusement. "Didn't you even check your new schedule?" she questioned, pulling hers out of her robe and handing it to Ron. "We have class every Monday, 6:00-8:00 A.M."  
  
Staring at the offensive schedule, Ron grumbled something about six in the morning being too early to have to put up with a Slytherin.  
  
  
  
Morning classes passed quickly on Friday, too quickly, in Ron's opinion.  
  
"Only seven more hours before we have to deal with the Slytherin's," he groaned, as the three Gryffindors sat in their usual spots at their table.  
  
"Actually, you forgot that we have Double Potions after lunch on Friday's," Harry interjected.  
  
"Thanks for reminding me. Now my lunch is completely ruined," he claimed, pushing his plate away from him.  
  
"Seriously, Ron, get over it. There is nothing we can do about the whole thing," an exasperated Hermione chimed in. "I'm not any happier about the whole thing than you are, but really, you have to deal with it."  
  
Ron glared across the table at Hermione. "Harry, how about we ditch Double Potions today?" he asked, half-jokingly.  
  
"Yeah, sure Ron, whatever you want to do. How about if we go and see if Filch wants to hang out? We could do something really fun, like a tea party," Harry's eyes twinkled, and he grinned over at a laughing Hermione.  
  
"Ha, ha, very funny!"  
  
Throughout the rest of lunch, Ron kept his mouth shut while Harry and Hermione discussed Charms. The bell rang and students began exiting the Great Hall and moving towards their afternoon double classes.  
  
Double Potions went rather well, with the exception of Neville accidentally adding ground wolfbane to his potion. The effect caused a rather noxious gas to permeate the room. Snape took 30 points from Gryffindor and gave Neville 0 points on his potion.  
  
Hermione engrossed herself in her Arithmancy class. They studied the effects of Arithmantic theories on the probability of determining who would when the next Quidditch World Cup. It turned out that Dr. Branefeld had a passion for Quidditch.  
  
Dinner was served and the students all threw themselves into the delicious roast beef meal. Dumbledore waited until he saw that most students were done eating, then he stood; the room became silent.  
  
"I hope you have all enjoyed the delicious meal we have had this evening. I would like to give you a bit of information about tonight. After dinner, you will have one hour of free time. At 7:30, please meet back here. We will then divide you into your new classes," he smiled in anticipation. "You should have all received your new schedule. If you have not, please don't hesitate to ask for it.  
  
"I am pleased to announce that the primary teacher for this class will be none other than Dr. Branefeld," he paused for the scattered applause, and nodded at Dr. Branefeld who was sitting next to Professor Vector. "Those of you taking the Advanced Arithmancy class have met him already. His love of all things sailing is second only to his passion for Arithmancy.  
  
"I am sure that you will all enjoy your class, even if some of you must get up a few hours early once a week," his eyes twinkled as groans filled the air. "Well, that is it. You may be dismissed to your common rooms, please."  
  
"Oh my gosh, I am so excited!" squealed Hermione, as the trio got up from the table. "You guys are gonna love Dr. Branefeld. He is amazing. If he knows sailing half as well as he knows Arithmancy then this will be a real treat."  
  
"Have you ever been sailing, Harry?" Ron asked.  
  
"No. The Dursley's went once, but Dudley threw up and they never went again."  
  
"Really? Why did he throw up?" Ron quizzed, as the group waited patiently for a set of stairs to move their way.  
  
"Probably he became seasick. Some people get seasick when they are on water," Hermione stated. "It happens because the inner ear, the body and the eyes are all sending different signals to the brain."  
  
"Really? Does it happen to lots of people?"  
  
"Yeah, most people," Hermione answered. "However, I don't get seasick. I've been on my Grandpa's sailboat often. I used to get seasick at first, but I haven't in the last five summers or so."  
  
"You never told us that you had a Grandpa," Harry said, stepping onto the newly arrived staircase closely followed by the others.  
  
Hermione blushed. "Yeah, well, I just didn't feel that it was all that important. I just like to keep some things private."  
  
"Oh, so you can keep things private, but not me?" Ron interjected, remembering Hermione's anger the other night.  
  
"Okay, that's fair. But still, it's different. I don't know everything about your home lives, but I like to think that we can share everything about our lives here at Hogwarts. I would never keep anything secret from you guys about here. Especially if it involved someone of the opposite sex," she said, glancing at a red-faced Ron.  
  
"Well, that may be good for you, but I think a guy is entitled to a little privacy, right Harry?"  
  
"Don't look at me. I have no desire to get involved."  
  
"That certainly didn't stop you the other day," Ron fumed.  
  
"Look, I don't see what the big deal is Ron. Why can't you tell me who you like?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"I just don't feel like it, yet," he answered.  
  
"Okay. Just so long as you know I would never keep a secret from you guys about my love life."  
  
"Well, that's you," Ron stated.  
  
"Fairy rings," Harry recited, stepping through the opening with the other two.  
  
Harry and Ron played Wizard's Chess while Hermione pulled out her Arithmancy text to continue studying, much to Ron's amusement. Harry was on his third loss when Dean entered, telling the students that it was time to head to the Great Hall to be put into their classes.  
  
Talking excitedly, the students made their way to the Great Hall. Dumbledore waited patiently as they all filed in. The long tables had been moved, so the students simply gathered in the front of the room. As soon as they quieted down, Dumbledore began.  
  
"Well, we begin," he smiled. "Your prefects should have told you with which house you will each be grouped, however, I will repeat it. This time, however, I will also tell you the name of your secondary instructor. This instructor will attend all your classes and aid Dr. Branefeld in your course work. I will call the name of the professor, then I call your year and house, please follow your professor. Let the grouping begin."  
  
"Professor McGonagall, first years Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs," Dumbledore began, as the first years watched for Professor McGonagall and moved towards the exit of the Great Hall.  
  
"Professor Snape, first year Ravenclaws and Slytherins."  
  
Dumbledore continued to call out the names of professors and students as those called made their ways out of the Great Hall.  
  
"Professor Sinistra, fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins."  
  
Ron made a face and moved with the rest of his year towards the back of the Great Hall. They followed Professor Sinistra through the halls and entered a classroom. The Slytherins and Gryffindors sat down on opposite sides of the room.  
  
"Good evening, class," Professor Sinistra said. "As you should all know by now, our class will meet first thing every Monday morning. That would be 6:00 AM -8:00 AM. You are expected to be on time. A small breakfast will be provided for you in our class," she continued.  
  
"Our first few classes will be held in this room, with subsequent classes meeting outside at the lake. Homework will be given and collected each week." A few groans interrupted her speech.  
  
"I am sorry if some feel that homework is a hardship, however, it is a necessity. At the end of the class, we will be out on the high seas without our wands. These next few months are extremely important. Now, I will be putting you into pairs. This individual will be the person with whom you will work in and out of class. You will be responsible to watch for each other's safety when our class moves on to the more active portion of our class," she concluded, pulling out a list.  
  
"Lavender Brown and Vincent Crabbe."  
  
"Seamus Finnigan and Tracey Davis."  
  
"Harry Potter and Blaise Zabini."  
  
"Ron Weasley and Pansy Parkinson." Ron rolled his eyes as he moved across the room.  
  
"Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy."  
  
Hermione's eyes widened as her name was paired with Draco. From across the room, Harry and Ron shared a sympathetic look with Hermione, while Professor Sinistra continued to pair up the students. 


	4. A Temporary Breakdown

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world.  
  
Summary (Chp. 1-3): Dumbledore announces a new class to prepare for a two- week sailing field trip. Class will be taught by Dr. Gavin Branefeld, avid Quidditch fan, and Arithmancy genius. Gryffindors are paired with Slytherins; secondary Professor for class is Professor Sinistra (witch). Hermione and Draco are paired up  
  
Chapter 3: A Temporary Breakdown  
  
"Well, well," drawled Draco. "I get the pleasure of being paired with the super Mudblood."  
  
"Shut up, Malfoy. I certainly don't want to be paired with you," Hermione hissed, turning her back on him as Professor Sinistra called the last pair of students.  
  
"Please take your seats," Professor Sinistra said, turning to write on the chalkboard.  
  
Reluctantly, Hermione sat on the furthest edge of the bench at the table which she was to share with Draco, and prepared to listen to the professor.  
  
"Tonight I will be giving you a brief outline of what the next few months holds for you. However, first things first. Tomorrow all third year students and above will be given a half-day in Hogsmeade. Your main purpose in being given this privilege is to purchase the necessary textbooks you will need for your class.  
  
"You will be able to pick up prepared packages at Dervish & Banges. Seeing as only third years and above are allowed in Hogsmeade, Headmaster Dumbledore has asked the fifth years to be so kind as to pick up two extra packages each for two of the first and second years in your house. Obviously, the money will be provided by the students in question.  
  
"The list of items you will be picking up are: The Anatomy of A Ship, by Beau L. Gibe Knots Made Easy, by Clive Hitch On the High Seas, by Vunder Vater  
  
These will be our main texts. You will be expected to read them thoroughly, as well as write a five-foot report on Vunder Vater's text. The other two texts will be used for the more practical side of our class.  
  
"Headmaster Dumbledore has worked out a bargain with Dervish & Banges. Whereas the books would normally have cost 7 Galleons, your cost will only be 4 Galleons, 11 Sickles and 4 Knuts,," she continued. (A/N: $34.16 instead of $51.31, for those who are interested. Info gleaned from the Harry Potter Lexicon)  
  
"I wonder where the Weasel will come up with that type of money," Draco chuckled into Hermione's ear.  
  
"Leave me alone, Ferret Boy," she hissed back.  
  
Professor Sinistra continued to discuss the course for another thirty minutes, the longest thirty minutes of Hermione's life. Throughout the class, Draco assaulted Hermione with a whispered barrage of comments about her parents, Harry's fear of Dementor's, Ron's unfortunate habit of turning red in the face, etcetera, being careful to pepper his comments with plenty of derogatory terms.  
  
When Professor Sinistra dismissed the class, with a final reminder to find two students to purchase books for, Hermione darted from the room. She practically ran back to the Gryffindor common room, not even waiting for Harry and Ron, tears threatening to explode at any moment.  
  
"'F.fairy rings'," she gasped.  
  
"My, my dear, you look awful," gasped the Fat Lady, turning to a visiting Queen. "Doesn't she look just horrible?"  
  
"Terrible," agreed the Queen. "My dear young lady, you really should take a look at yourself in the mirror."  
  
"I said, 'fairy rings'," Hermione repeated.  
  
"Well!" sniffed the Fat Lady indignantly, allowing her supple frame to swing open.  
  
Hermione stumbled into the common room, thankfully noting that it was empty. The rest of the Gryffindors were apparently still in their respective classes. She fell onto the red couch in front of the fire, finally giving in to her tears.  
  
She didn't know how she was going to make it through the next eight months; not with that pretentious pinhead as her partner. There had to be someway out of this circumstance. As she concentrated on this dilemma, her tears slowly dried, and her breathing returned to normal. She'd just have to go see Headmaster Dumbledore, she decided.  
  
She got up, just as the portrait opened, expelling a concerned Harry and Ron into the common room, along with a trickle of other students.  
  
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Harry asked, moving across the room.  
  
"Nothing. I just needed to check on something," she answered, the flimsy excuse sounding even worse as it came from her mouth.  
  
"When you ran out of class, we got worried," Ron said. "We would have gotten here sooner, but Professor Sinistra forgot to pass out our homework, of all things," he continued, annoyance dripping in his voice.  
  
"Homework? What homework?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Well, before Monday morning," Harry began, leading Hermione back towards the cheery fire to sit on the couch, "we have to get together with our partner and."  
  
He didn't get any further than that before Hermione burst into tears once again. This time, she didn't let herself think. She just knew that this was further proof that this would be the worst year of her life.  
  
Harry and Ron exchanged worried glances over the prone, sobbing figure. They had never seen Hermione lose control of herself like this.  
  
"Hermione, what's the matter?" a female voice questioned.  
  
The boys looked up to see an apprehensive Ginny watching them. She came around to the front of the couch, pushed Ron over and sat down, gathering Hermione's weeping form into her arms.  
  
"What are you doing, Ginny?" Ron asked, angrily.  
  
"Well, you two don't seem to be doing anything for her. Why don't you guys just go away for now. She obviously needs a female friend right now," she glared at her brother, until he and Harry got up to leave.  
  
"Hermione," Harry said gently, touching her shoulder, "we'll be around if you want to talk to us."  
  
She managed a nod as Harry and Ron moved to the other side of the room, where they got out some cards to play Exploding Snap.  
  
Ginny gently rocked Hermione as her sobbing calmed, and she began to hiccup. Ginny let go of her when Hermione slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, rubbing her fists in her eyes.  
  
"Th.thanks Ginny," she hiccupped. "I don't know wh..why I'm crying."  
  
She took a deep, steadying breath as Ginny sat patiently waiting.  
  
"Well, may.maybe that's not entirely true," she mused.  
  
"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" Ginny gently prodded.  
  
"I suppose. You probably know that my year was grouped with the Slytherins for our field trip and classwork," she paused as Ginny acknowledged that she had heard. "Well, that I could handle. I mean it's not like I'm not used to being with the Slytherins. I've had classes with them every year during the last four years," she continued, as Ginny nodded her encouragement.  
  
"Well, Professor Sinistra has paired us each of us up with a Slytherin," she said.  
  
"Yeah, Hagrid paired each of us up with a Ravenclaw," Ginny explained.  
  
"I guess it must be what each class is doing," Hermione mused.  
  
"Probably. So what's the problem?"  
  
"Ginny, Professor Sinistra paired me up with Malfoy!"  
  
"Well, we all know that Malfoy is a jerk, but why is that so bad?"  
  
"You should have heard the things he said to me. It was horrible. He called me 'mudblood' and a whole variety of other things, as well as saying terribly mean things about Harry and Ron. I'm usually made of tougher stuff, but when I realized that I would have to put up with him and his comments in much closer quarters for the next sixth months, I just lost it," she explained.  
  
"Yeah, I can see your point," Ginny agreed.  
  
"Well, thanks for listening, Ginny. I think I'll be okay now. I'll just have to be determined to not allow Malfoy to annoy me," she firmly resolved.  
  
"Anytime you need to talk, Hermione, you can always come and talk to me. I can always lend a sympathetic ear," she said, as the two girls hugged each other.  
  
"I guess I'd better go and see Ron and Harry. Let them know that I'm okay," she said, standing and smoothing her robes.  
  
  
  
"So, who are you getting books for?" Ron asked Hermione as the three students passed through the gates to Hogsmeade.  
  
"Natalie and Jenna. How about you?"  
  
"Travis and Ned."  
  
"Let's make a stop by The Three Broomsticks before picking up our books," Harry suggested. The other two nodded their agreement and they picked up their pace.  
  
They entered the establishment, ordered their butterbeers and found a empty booth in the far corner.  
  
"So, now that I am calm and have complete control of myself, what exactly is our homework?" Hermione asked, after swallowing a mouthful of butterbeer.  
  
"You have to choose a famous ship from history and write a two foot report on it. Something to do with knowing the past can help us in the present, or some such nonsense," Ron explained.  
  
"Well, that shouldn't be too bad," Hermione said. "How long could it take to right such a small report?"  
  
The three finished up their butterbeers, spent some time in both Honeyduke's and Zonko's, purchased their books and headed back to Hogwart's. When they entered the castle, a familiar drawl interrupted their laughter.  
  
"Hey, Mudblood," Draco said, leaning against the stairwell railing, Crabbe and Goyle nowhere to be seen. "Did you think you could get out of doing our homework by avoiding me?"  
  
Harry and Ron stepped in front of Hermione, shielding her from view, Harry whipping out his wand.  
  
"Leave her alone, Malfoy," he snapped.  
  
"Hey, it's not like it's my decision to spend time with her," Draco stated taking a step forward, flicking his wand up.  
  
"Harry, let me take care of this, please?" Hermione said, pushing Harry's aside with one hand, while forcing his wand down with the other. "I was not avoiding you, Malfoy, I was in Hogsmeade picking up the required text. However, since you're here, why don't we plan on a meeting time?" she continued, forcing herself to remain calm.  
  
"Fine, it's not like we have a choice," Draco muttered. "Meet me in the library, after lunch today," he said, turning and stalking down the hallway.  
  
"I suppose we should go and drop our stuff off," Hermione said, turning to head to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"Do you want one of us to go to the library with you, Hermione?" Ron questioned. "I wouldn't mind hanging out in the library all afternoon, if it would help."  
  
"No, I'll be fine. I'm going to have to learn how to deal with him somehow over these next eight months, I might as well start now," she said, shifting her packages in her arms to get a better grip.  
  
"Well, just let us know if you ever need any help with the jerk," Harry told her before saying 'duffer doofer', the new password, to the Fat Lady.  
  
"I'll go drop my packages off, then I'll meet you two back here," Hermione said, heading towards her dorm.  
  
"Meet us here? For what?" Ron asked.  
  
"Lunch!" Hermione called over her shoulder.  
  
"Oh, yeah, that's right, lunch," Ron muttered, following Harry up to their dorm to deposit their own heavy loads.  
  
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REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!!! 


	5. The Homework Assignment

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world.  
  
Summary (Chp. 1-3): Dumbledore announces a new class, taught by Dr. Gavin Branefeld, to prepare for a two-week sailing field trip. Gryffindors are paired with Slytherins; secondary Professor for class is Professor Sinistra (witch). Hermione and Draco are paired up. Hermione breaks down into tears, gets comforted by Ginny. The trio picks up textbooks in Hogsmeade run into Draco when they get back. Draco and Hermione plan to meet in library after lunch to prepare a homework assignment.  
  
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Chapter 4: The Homework Assignment  
  
After finishing a delicious spaghetti lunch, Hermione, bag slung over her shoulder, headed to the library. She reverently entered the large wing, deeply inhaling the wonderfully musty smell of thousands of books. The library had been her shrine, of sorts, since the first day she had entered into Hogwarts. A feeling of loss settled upon her when she saw Draco, a smirk plastered on his face, waiting for her at an empty, round table. Her shrine had been desecrated.  
  
"Let's get started," Hermione said, glaring at his lackadaisical expression.  
  
"We should probably decide upon the ship we are going to write about, first, Granger," he drawled.  
  
"Wow, I didn't realize you were so smart, Malfoy," she snapped back.  
  
The two stared each other down for a few minutes.  
  
"You know, the sooner we get started, the sooner we can be out of each other's presence," she commented icily.  
  
"Fine."  
  
The two of them moved towards the library shelves and immersed themselves in finding books that dealt with the history of the seas. After an hour of pulling, skimming, replacing, and more pulling, the two of them returned to the table, each laden with books.  
  
"I think I have found a great ship for us to write about," Hermione said, opening a large tome entitled ::Ships of the Mid-Century::. "The Maranow was the first ship to make its way__"  
  
"I'm not writing about any muggle or mudblood ships," Draco interrupted.  
  
"Fine," she glared, "what did you find?"  
  
"The Salmon Freeze," he stated.  
  
"And why is it important?"  
  
"Sorry, I forgot, a mudblood wouldn't know. Though you probably should," he commented, an evil glint in his eyes.  
  
"And why should I?"  
  
"Because the ship provided valuable service to the wizarding world."  
  
"And what service would that be?" Hermione asked, growing impatient.  
  
With a grin he answered, "Why, muggle slaves. Too bad the slave trade is illegal now, you'd have made a great one," he said snidely, a sneer crossing his features.  
  
Hermione glared at him so ferociously that Draco almost audibly gulped. "You are despicable!" she hissed.  
  
"Well, I call it as I see it, Granger," he snarled, recovering from her glare.  
  
After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Hermione tried again.  
  
"We need to lay down some ground rules for the next six months, Malfoy."  
  
"And why would that be?"  
  
"Because, I want to get a good grade in this class, and part of my grade will, unfortunately, have to depend on you and your work. If all we do is argue when we are attempting to complete work, we'll both get bad grades," she stated reasonably.  
  
Draco watched her for a moment. Her eyes never broke contact with his. With a curt nod of his head, he agreed to discuss the option.  
  
"So, what exactly do you mean by 'ground rules'?" he questioned.  
  
"Well, no name calling, for starters. I won't call you Ferret Boy and you won't call me Mudblood."  
  
"Fine. What else?"  
  
"We agree to work quickly and diligently so that we can get through with our work, spending as little time together as possible."  
  
"Sounds perfect to me."  
  
"Finally, in regards to our current assignment, we each get three vetoes. I veto Salmon Freeze."  
  
"Good, I veto Maranow, and all muggle or mudblood ships."  
  
"Malfoy, that's not how veto works," Hermione sighed.  
  
"Well, then, choose a wizard ship," he snapped.  
  
Hermione stared at him loathingly for a moment.  
  
"How about this ship?" she finally questioned, pushing an open book toward him.  
  
He looked at the painting of a moving ship. The wind was merrily snapping the sails around, while sailors were scrambling up and down the riggings. A sharply dressed man, presumably the captain, paced the quarterdeck, stopping occasionally to look at the horizon through a telescope. On the side of the ship was the name Vintmoor.  
  
"Well, the ship looks alright, but what did it do?" Draco asked, pushing the book across the table.  
  
"Don't know how to read?" she snapped.  
  
"Shut up, Granger. Of course I do, but seeing as you already know about the ship, I figured it would be easier to ask you."  
  
"Fine. This ship discovered the Island of Malnese."  
  
"Really?" Draco sat up, pulling the large tome back over.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I thought that the Island of Malnese was a myth," he said, awe in his voice.  
  
"And you call yourself a pureblood?"  
  
He answered her with a glare.  
  
"Well, what do you think?" she questioned.  
  
Draco, continuing to silently pour over the information contained in the book, didn't hear her.  
  
"Malfoy!" she said sharply.  
  
"What?" he snapped, looking up.  
  
"I asked, what do you think?"  
  
"Well," he drawled, pushing the text unconcernedly across the table, "it wouldn't be my first choice, but it will do."  
  
"Good. Now, let's get busy researching."  
  
For the next two hours, the two students silently poured through manuscripts and documents about the Vintmoor and the Island of Malnese. With a large yawn, Hermione sat back in her chair and stretched.  
  
"How's it going, Malfoy?" she asked.  
  
"Fine. I found some interesting information. Apparently, Captain Solstine went in search of the island when his wife dissapparated. For some reason, he thought she had gone to the island."  
  
"Really? I thought he was just an explorer. That's what these books say, anyway," she said, with a sweeping glance at the various opened books.  
  
Draco continued as though she hadn't spoken. "No one had ever heard of the Island, but Captain Solstine was convinced that she had gone there. So, he gathered up a crew, purchased a ship, and set sail. Four years later, he found the island, and the bleached bones of his wife."  
  
"Gross."  
  
"I know. Here's a painting," he said.  
  
Hermione pushed her chair back, stood, and moved around the table to take a closer look at the picture. A weeping man, probably Captain Solstine, was gripping a bleached skeleton on the edge of a sandy beach. Hermione leaned closer to look at the caption under the painting. As she did, she leaned against Draco. Both were so absorbed in the book, they didn't even notice.  
  
"So, when he found the Island, and his wife, he created the curse," she said softly, reading the next few paragraphs. "Which book is this?" she asked.  
  
"::The First Mate's View: A Travel Log to the Island of Malnese:: It was written by Samuel Lamay, the Captain's first mate. I've read a lot about the Island, mostly in books of myth and legends, but I never read that he had gone in search of his wife," Draco suddenly noticed that Hermione's soft hand was brushing against his own as they looked at the book. For some reason, his stomach flip-flopped.  
  
"Get away from me, Mudblood!" he suddenly hissed, pushing himself away from her.  
  
"I thought we made a deal to not call names, Ferret Boy," she returned venomously.  
  
"Yeah, we did, but I didn't agree to have to be touched by you."  
  
"Let's just get this report written, then we won't have to worry about touching each other," she said, moving back to her side of the table.  
  
"Fine."  
  
For a few moments they sat in silence.  
  
"Let me write the report," Draco said into the silence.  
  
"Sure, whatever."  
  
Draco and Hermione, staying on opposite sides of the table, worked out an outline and then buckled down, finishing the two-foot long report in two hours.  
  
"Well, then, that's it. We won't have to see each other again, until Monday morning," Hermione said, relief filling her voice.  
  
"Good by me," Draco agreed. But for some reason, he wished they weren't done with their report.  
  
"Hey, Malfoy," Hermione looked over at him, "what curse did Captain Solstine put on the island?"  
  
"No one really knows. The Island is still considered a myth by most, so it's not really been discussed."  
  
"Oh, well, then, I'm going to go." Without further ado, she stood, gathered her stuff, and left.  
  
Draco watched her leave, feeling strangely abandoned. 


	6. The Tale of the Island of Malnese

Chapter 5: The Tale of the Island of Malnese  
  
Sunday morning passed quickly. Hermione spent it curled up in the Gryffindor common room rereading ::The First Mate's View: A Travel Log to the Island of Malnese::. She had checked it out of the library later on Saturday evening. It was an intriguing story.  
  
Vittorio Solstine, captain of the trading vessel Silver Lining, had married Meredith Haglyn when he met her on one of his many voyages. For three years the two had lived happily, Meredith joining Captain Solstine on the majority of the voyages. On a stormy night, halfway through the midwatch, Solstine had burst forth from his room at the stern of the ship, wildly screaming for the ship to turn back.  
  
The men, unused to a frantically screaming Captain, simply stared at him. First Mate Lamay stumbled onto the wave tossed deck, grabbed the hysterical man, ordered the men to continue as they were, and drug the Captain below decks. After a few moments, Solstine calmed down, and told Lamay what had happened.  
  
Meredith and him had had a small argument earlier that day, about what the captain wouldn't say. That evening, the argument had escalated. The two had spent most of the night tensely arguing, when, suddenly, Meredith stood, muttered 'to Malnese', and dissaparated. At that point, the captain burst onto the deck.  
  
Lamay skipped discussion of the remainder of that particular voyage. He picked up the story from the point where they arrived at port. Captain Solstine abandoned his duties to the wizard shipping company. Followed by Lamay, he went in search of a new crew. When questioned by Lamay, Solstine would say nothing more than 'she's at Malnese'. Although he never explained what Malnese was, Lamay continued to follow his captain.  
  
After recruiting a crew consisting entirely of muggles, with the promise of gold to all, he searched the docks for a seaworthy ship. Many weeks later, he was able to purchase a medium clipper ship from a poor muggle for a cheap price. He took his new crew, stocked the ship, and set sail. Lamay still had no idea where they were going.  
  
After two weeks on the high seas, Lamay finally got the opportunity to corner Solstine.  
  
"I thought that the Captain had taken leave of his senses," wrote Lamay. "When I asked the Captain where we were going, he said to find his wife on the Island of Malnese. When I asked where the Island of Malnese was, he said that he did not know. I asked him what was there, he did not know. After many questions, I realized that this island was in his mind. When I hinted at this, the Captain became angry and told me that he knew that the island was out there somewhere. It was where his wife had gone. I was unable to continue our conversation at this point, for the Captain had turned from me to retire into his cabin."  
  
Lamay continued to tell the story of their journey across the high seas. The crew became mutinous about a month out. The captain refused to put into port to renew their diminishing supplies. He ordered the crew to work double shifts. He brutally beat a man who fainted from overwork. When the crew attempted to overpower the Captain, he pulled his wand and threatened them with various curses.  
  
The crew thought that the Captain had gone mad. As he continued to wave his wand in the air, muttering various curses he would perform, a foolhardy sailor attempted to jump the Captain. The Captain preformed a full body bind curse, the man fell to the deck with a thud, and the crew fell into shocked silence.  
  
The Captain turned to the men, ordered them to continue about their business and retired to his cabin, ostensibly to chart a course.  
  
A week later, the Captain was forced to enter a nearby port to replenish food supplies. He came on deck for the first time since the body bind incident. The men became quiet. The Captain pulled his wand, performed a memory charm, and then ordered the men to head towards port. Obediently, the men followed instructions. They restocked the ship, completed minor repairs and sailed out that evening. During the remainder of the journey, the Captain performed the memory charm on many occasions.  
  
After four years of sailing, during which the Captain had destroyed many men, replenishing his crew with new men at various ports, they found the Island of Malnese. Lamay was unable to give coordinates of the Island, for it appeared that a spell had been performed to render the island unplottable.  
  
'Sort of like keeping Hogwarts secret,' mused Hermione.  
  
"We have reached the Island of Malnese," wrote Lamay. "It is a beautiful island. The water is a deep aquamarine, the sand is a shimmering white. Palm trees cover the land, laden with coconuts. We will be setting out tomorrow in long boats to reach the shore."  
  
The next day, the Captain ordered a long boat to be placed into the calm aquamarine waters. The crew, now in a mostly zombie-like state from the over use of memory charms, quietly followed the Captain's instructions. Upon reaching the shore, the Captain scrambled quickly from the boat, followed closely by Lamay.  
  
Captain Solstine began to loudly call for Meredith. Silence answered his frantic shouts. For the next half hour, Lamay followed the Captain as he slowly pushed his way deeper into the interior of the Island. Overhead, brightly colored parrots squawked at loudly chattering monkeys. Warm, sweet smelling breezes wafted through the jungle.  
  
The Captain suddenly froze, almost causing Lamay to crash into him. The two were standing at the edge of a white beach leading to sapphire blue waters. A choked sob sounded from the Captain's throat, and he fell to his knees. The sobs changed into a wailing howl and, to Lamay's horror, the Captain gathered the bleached bones of a skeleton into his arms.  
  
With a searching glance, Lamay saw the glint of a ring in the sand. He bent to retrieve it. He held up a familiar gold circle, Meredith's wedding band. Gently, he reached a hand to comfort the mourning Vittorio.  
  
"When I tried to comfort the Captain, he brusquely pushed me away," Lamay continued in his log. "He stood, took a deep breath, and raised his wand. His eyes, how could I forget his eyes. There was a fury in them I had never seen. The air fairly crackled around him. Bright red sparks began to fly from the end of wand.  
  
" A low pitched sound began to sound deep in his throat. The sound grew, ripping from his throat in a scream of deep agony. He began a low incantation, and I knew, without a doubt, that this was the moment to leave. I ran as fast as I could, dodging branches, jumping vines. As I reached the beachhead, I stumbled. A loud bang reverberated in the air shaking the earth beneath me.  
  
"The men, standing by the long boat, jumped in, pushing the boat into the water. I managed to push myself up and ran, diving headlong into the water. The men in the long boat paused long enough to haul me in. As they rowed swiftly to the anchored ship, I looked back. A black haze was rapidly descending upon the Island of Malnese."  
  
Lamay described the fear of the men on the ship. He ordered them to haul in the anchor. Quickly, they followed the command, shaking so violently as they watched the black haze rolling quickly down the beach, that Lamay finally used his wand and caused the anchor to land with a dripping thud in the bow of the ship. Laboriously, they prepared the ship to leave the bay, racing against the blackness that threatened to swallow them. Lamay used his wand and performed the only spell he could think of, an invisible wall charm. It appeared to work.  
  
The black haze reached his spell, and began to creep along the edges of the wall, looking for a way past. The wind caught the sails, and the ship bounced away leaving the Island of Malnese behind.  
  
Four months later, a shaken crew reached the shores of England. Reluctantly, Lamay performed a final memory charm on the crew, and sent them off with gold from the Captain's quarters. There ended Lamay's story. As far as what happened to the Captain, it was anybody's guess.  
  
Hermione closed the book. With a sigh, she stood and stretched. She wondered if it was possible to find any more information in the library on the ship. Glancing at the clock, she noted that it was three in the afternoon.  
  
The common room was quiet. Two first years were playing Exploding Snap in one corner, while two other students were engaged in an intense game of Wizard's Chess.  
  
"Hermione, there you are," she heard Ron's voice.  
  
"Hey, how was your Quidditch game?" she asked, taking in Ron and Harry's disheveled, muddy appearances.  
  
Last week, a group of guys and girls from different houses had put together intramural Quidditch teams. Harry and Ron were beaters on one of the teams, the Hornbacks. Harry had been asked to play the seeker on his team, but had politely refused. He thought it would be fun to play a beater with Ron. He was right, it was, though nothing beat the feeling he got during regular house games when he caught the snitch.  
  
"Our game went okay. We lost to the Manticores," Harry answered.  
  
"Oh, well, you'll do better next time."  
  
"Yeah, that's what were planning on doing. So what are you doing?" Ron asked nodding at the book Hermione was holding.  
  
"I was just about to head back to the library. I'm reading about a ship," she answered.  
  
"Oh, the ship you wrote your report on?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yeah. We wrote about the Vintmoor. It was the ship that found the Island of Malnese."  
  
"Hey, I recognize that name," Ron said. "Isn't that the Island that supposed to be cursed, and nobody knows where it is?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Cool."  
  
"Well, you guys look like you need to go shower. I'm going to head to the library to see if I can find anything more about the ship or Island. See you guys at dinner," she turned and left as the boys moved off to their dorm.  
  
She spent a fruitless afternoon hunting for anything that even remotely mentioned the ship or island, outside of the volumes that she had found and read with Draco. With a sigh, she finally gave up and headed to the Great Hall to eat dinner.  
  
"Did you find what you were looking for?" Harry asked, pouring Hermione a glass of pumpkin juice and handing it to her as she sat.  
  
"No. The most I found was in the book I was reading earlier today," she sighed, gratefully reaching for the glass.  
  
The three filled their plates high. Harry and Ron chatted endlessly about their Quidditch match, filling Hermione in on the game in a play by play. Harry finally noticed that Hermione wasn't paying any attention.  
  
"What the matter, Hermione?"  
  
"Huh?" she asked, looking up from the mutilated food on her plate.  
  
"You seem really out of it. What's wrong?" Harry repeated.  
  
"Nothing. I'm just wondering why I can't find anything else on the Vintmoor or Malnese. I bet the information is somewhere in the Restricted Section. Unfortunately, I don't have Professor Lockhart around to finagle a pass out of," she went back to stabbing the meat on her plate.  
  
"Hermione, if it's that important, I can loan you the Marauder's Map and my Invisibility Cloak tonight," Harry offered.  
  
Her eyes lit up as she put down her fork and looked into Harry's eyes. "Really? You'd let me do that, for a book?"  
  
"Hey, what are friends for?" he smiled.  
  
After dinner, the students headed back to their common rooms to pass the evening before bed. When Hermione, Ron and Harry got to the Gryffindor common room, Ron, as planned, remembered that he had left his pack of Exploding Snap cards on the table in the Great Hall. While he went back to get it, Harry slipped into his room, grabbed the Map and Cloak and met Hermione in the shadows of the stairwell.  
  
"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said, slipping the Vloak around her shoulders and pulling the hood up.  
  
"No problem. Don't forget the Map."  
  
Hermione reached out with a disembodied hand and took the proffered Map. Using her wand, she touched the it and muttered, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."  
  
The Map sprang to life. She watched it carefully, and saw a small Ron heading to the portrait of the Fat Lady.  
  
"I'm going," she whispered to Harry, and carefully moved towards the back of the portrait. When it opened, she gently grasped Ron's hand in silent thanks as she moved through the hole.  
  
The Fat Lady swung shut and Hermione paused. She carefully examined the Map. All of the students were apparently in their common rooms. Filch and Mrs. Norris were in the other side of the castle. Peeves was down in the dungeons. None of the Professors were out in the hallways.  
  
She quietly headed towards the library. She had never realized just how creepy the castle could be. This was the first time she had walked around it in the dark by herself. She half wished she'd asked Harry or Ron to come with her, but she figured it was better to do this on her own.  
  
Checking the Marauder's Map again, she noticed a new dot on the map. Looking closely, she audibly inhaled. What was he doing out? 


	7. The Restricted Section

Chapter 6: The Restricted Section  
  
  
  
She watched the dot labeled Draco Malfoy for a few moments. He turned a corner and stepped into an empty classroom. He appeared to move to the window and stay there.  
  
'Interesting,' thought Hermione. She watched the Map closely for a few moments, to be certain that no one else was near, before continuing her silent passage to the library.  
  
Quietly she pointed her wand at the door whispered 'alohomora' and pushed open one of the heavy doors until she was able to squeeze through. With a gentle click she closed the door behind her. She took a deep breath and checked the Map one more time. No one was in that wing of the castle. She tapped the Map with her wand and breathed the words "mischief managed". The halls, rooms and dots of the Map faded.  
  
Quietly she folded up the Map, stuck it in her robe and crept through the empty library to the Restricted Section. It felt as though her heart was attempting to break free from her ribcage. She took a deep calming breath, slipped the Cloak hood off, and pulled out her wand.  
  
"Lumos," she whispered.  
  
A brilliant light burst forth from the tip of her wand. She slowly moved to the back of the Restricted Section and began running her fingers along the spines. She wasn't exactly sure what to look for.  
  
When she started to pull books from the shelves, Harry's Cloak kept getting in the way. Frustrated, she pulled it off, carefully folding it up and placing it on a nearby chair. Without the added hindrance, she was able to quickly remove books and skim through them with ease.  
  
As she carefully replaced another useless, though interesting text, she heard a noise. With a gasp, she reached for the Cloak, throwing it around her shoulders, and put out her wand. Desperately, she tried to control her rapid breathing, finally clamping a hand firmly over her mouth to lessen the noise.  
  
Tensely, she waited.  
  
After what seemed like hours, but was really only seconds, she remembered that she had the Map. Retrieving it from her pocket, she carefully whispered the spell, and watched as the Map reformed the interior of Hogwarts. She carefully looked at the dots moving about.  
  
Finding the library, she squinted in the low light and made out a name: Draco Malfoy.  
  
Furious, she muttered, 'mischief managed', shoved the Map back into her robe, threw off the Invisibility Cloak, and marched quickly down the aisle. Turning, she ran into a surprised Draco.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" she hissed.  
  
For a moment, Draco didn't know what to say, but he quickly recovered.  
  
"I could ask you the same, Mudblood," he drawled, nonchalantly leaning against the edge of a row of books.  
  
Hermione glared at him for a long moment, her cinnamon eyes flashing with anger.  
  
"Well?" he questioned, a smirk painting his features.  
  
With an annoyed sigh, she looked at him.  
  
"If you must know, I am looking for more information about the Island of Malnese. Seeing as I couldn't find anything more in the regular part of the library, I figured I would look in the restricted section."  
  
"Breaking rules? I wouldn't have thought that was your style, Granger," he replied. Secretly he was impressed. Hermione had always seemed like such a rule follower, he never would have guessed she had a bit of a wild streak in her.  
  
"Yeah, well, that doesn't answer why you're here."  
  
He looked at her for a long time before deciding to give her an answer.  
  
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you. I'm here for the same reason." He smirked at the surprise that flickered across her face. "What? Didn't think I'd be strolling around Hogwarts after hours unless I was up to something evil?"  
  
"That's not what I was thinking," Hermione said, defensively.  
  
"Yeah, right," he scoffed.  
  
"You know, if you're here for the same reason as me, we might as well combine our efforts. Not that I want to be around you, but---well, it's a bit of an overwhelming job," she finished lamely, gesturing to the rows of books.  
  
Draco looked behind her. He understood what she meant. The Restricted Section wasn't put in any particular order; made it more difficult for unauthorized students, such as themselves, to find things. He looked back to her expectant face.  
  
"Well, I suppose we could work together, this once," he answered, feeling strangely happy when he saw a look of relief and --- thanks? --- spread across her face.  
  
"Good. Okay, I have already looked through the shelves in the back two rows," she explained, pointing towards a dark corner. "Maybe we should start here and work our way back towards the two I finished?"  
  
He nodded his assent and the two students, wands lit, searched the spines for the elusive information.  
  
"Hey, Malfoy," Hermione quietly said, "I think I found something."  
  
Expectantly, she moved closer to Draco, propping the book, ::A Curse Upon Thee::, author unknown, up on an empty shelf. Draco leaned closer to Hermione in order to read the text with her.  
  
"Many dark and dangerous nights did I spend on the Island," the unknown author wrote. "I have seen terrors that only existed in my dreams, before now. In truth, I never believed I would get off that cursed place."  
  
"Well, what do you think?" Hermione asked.  
  
Before he could answer, they heard the doors to the library creak open, and the unmistakable mew of Mrs. Norris.  
  
Without any thought, Hermione reached once again for the discarded Invisibility Cloak, darkened her wand, shut the book, and covered herself with the Cloak.  
  
Draco watched her as she performed the motions, his eyes going wide when she apparently dissaparated. It took a moment before he realized that she couldn't have dissaparated, not in Hogwarts.  
  
"Where did you go?" he hissed, while desperately looking for a place to hide in the wide aisle. He could hear Filch and Mrs. Norris getting closer. He almost screamed when he felt an invisible hand grab his arm.  
  
The next thing he knew, he was staring into a pair of annoyed brown eyes. Before he could say anything, Hermione clamped one hand over his mouth and grabbed the front of his robe with her other hand. She began to pull him down the aisle. As they fled, he noticed that he was under something that resembled a sheet.  
  
Hermione stopped her swift retreat when she reached a small alcove in the wall at the end of the aisle. Quickly she pressed herself and Malfoy into the too small space, never once removing her hand from Malfoy's mouth.  
  
They had managed to get themselves settled thus, just as Mrs. Norris turned the corner at the end of the other aisle. For a long moment her lamp like eyes stared at the alcove.  
  
"What is it, my dear?" Filch's gravelly voiced wondered. He came around the corner, lifted his lantern, and looked carefully along the wall. With a shrug, he continued to walk through the library, passing the alcove within inches of Hermione and Draco.  
  
For fifteen minutes, the two students stood in the alcove, frozen like statues. Finally, the faint glow of the lantern disappeared with the metallic click of a closing lock. Draco and Hermione released their breath.  
  
Suddenly, it occurred to him, Filch and Mrs. Norris hadn't seen them. "How the hell didn't they see us?" Draco questioned.  
  
"You have to swear to keep this to yourself, Malfoy, or I swear," she hissed. With that, she removed the sheet object from the two of them. When she did, Malfoy noticed that it wasn't a sheet, but rather an outstandingly beautiful cloak.  
  
"Is that an Invisibility Cloak?" he breathed.  
  
"Yes. But you have to keep this to yourself."  
  
"How in the world did a Mudblood get a hold of an Invisibility Cloak?" he questioned.  
  
With venom in her eyes, she answered, "It's not mine, it belonged to Harry's father. He got it from Dumbledore his first Christmas here."  
  
"Really?" he asked, an evil grin spreading across his face.  
  
"Damn you, Malfoy," she growled. "Look, it's not any of your business. Just forget the whole thing, okay?"  
  
"Yeah, right, forget that Potter has an Invisibility Cloak? You must be kidding, Granger," he said, scornfully.  
  
"Oh, sod off, Malfoy."  
  
With that, Hermione grasped the book tightly against her, threw the Cloak back around her shoulders and disappeared. Draco could hear her moving down the aisle. He waited until her heard the sound of the door open and close, then he headed on his way. _______________________________________________________________________  
  
Well, there you are, chapter 6. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!  
  
To my current reviewers:  
  
- Misao Blacksoul: thanks  
  
- Anonymous: Thank you. I never actually gave any thought to the pairing of Ron and Pansy, but now that you mention it, I'm thinking about how to work it in. As far as saving each other, well.you'll just have to see. ::grins evilly::  
  
- Fiery-chan: don't feel bad. I'm guilty of the same sin. The island thing just sorta happened as I wrote the chapter. That's the fun thing about writing, sometimes the story just takes over.  
  
- Angelgirl89uk: I certainly hope that it will be brilliant. =)  
  
- Shivohnsongbreeze: Thanks, I will.  
  
- f0xyness39: I'm glad you love my story. I will e-mail you as soon as I update.  
  
- CatalinaRose: I don't know how I managed to crank out two chapters in one weekend, I didn't even really have time. It just sorta happened. No problem about the e-mails. In answer to your questions: Are they going to end up on that Island? Only time will tell, sometimes a story takes over and you have no choice in the matter. Exactly what is the curse? Your guess is as good as mine at this point.  
  
SPEAKING OF THE CURSE ON THE ISLAND: If you have any suggestions, feel free to e-mail them to me. I am looking for lots of creativity here. If I use your idea, I will give you due credit. 


	8. Just A Mudblood

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world.  
  
Summary (Chp. 1-5): Dumbledore plans a sailing class and field trip to be taught by Dr. Gavin Branefeld. Slytherin's and Gryffindor's are teamed up, with Draco and Hermione being put together as partners by Professor Sinistra (witch). D/Hr write a report on the Vintmoor, which discovered the Island of Malnese. Captain Solstine finds his wife, dead, on the Island, goes berserk. Hermione borrows Harry's map and cloak to go to the restricted section of the library. Draco goes to the library where he finds out about the cloak.  
  
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Chapter 7: Just a Mudblood  
  
Fuming, Hermione invisibly strode back towards the Gryffindor tower. Harry had trusted her to use his most prized possession, and she had been the one to share the secret with his adversary. She knew she had to tell Harry what had happened, and, hopefully, he would both forgive her and assist her in keeping that prat, Malfoy, quiet.  
  
She reached the Fat Lady, opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and audibly sighed.  
  
The Fat Lady's eyes snapped open at the sound. "Whose there?" She looked around in surprise at the empty hallway. When no answer came, she settled back down letting her eyes slide closed.  
  
Hermione was already halfway to the nearest flight of stairs when the Fat Lady asked her question. She would take care of this problem, tonight. Stepping quickly to the wall, she placed the book carefully by her feet, pulled the Map out of her robe, tapped it while muttering the spell, and slid to the floor.  
  
Examining the Map, she saw that Malfoy had not yet returned to his dorm. He was, in fact, back in that empty classroom by the window. Normally the trek to that particular wing was wearisome, however, using the Map, she would be able to use a secret passageway, drastically shortening the length. Making certain that she knew the whereabouts of Filch, Mrs. Norris and Peeves, she pushed herself up, gripped the large leather volume against her side, and marched down the hallway towards the secret passageway.  
  
She quickly reached the 13th century knight and muttered the password as written on the Map. A portion of the wall quietly slid open, and Hermione passed through the hole, turning to make sure that the wall would close on its own. As it did, she pulled her wand out to light her way before once again turning to march towards the other end, pausing long enough to place the increasingly heavy book carefully against the wall; she could come back for it later.  
  
Reaching the end of the passageway, she carefully reexamined the map, checking to make sure that the hallway she would be entering was still empty. Placing her hand on a clearly labeled stone, she pushed gently, and entered into the hallway. The wall silently slid shut after she passed through and she returned her now dark wand to her robe pocket.  
  
Though the passageway had shortened her trek, she still had to move through three different halls and down two long flights of steps, carefully hopping over the number of false steps before she was standing in front of the classroom. She looked down at the map; Malfoy was still in the empty room.  
  
"Mischief managed," she whispered, folding the parchment before stowing it in her robe. Then, she froze. What was she doing here? She had no desire to see Malfoy. It wasn't as if they weren't going to be spending more than enough time together in the next eight months.  
  
She moved to the other side of hallway, sliding into a sitting position against the wall. 'I'll just sit here and see how long he stays,' she decided. However, as this thought crossed her mind, she found herself once again standing in front of the door, this time turning the handle. She pushed open the door, and slid in, quietly closing the door behind her.  
  
Draco was sitting in the window seat across the bitterly cold room. His arms were clasped around his drawn up legs, his chin resting on the top of his knees. He was gazing so intently out of the window, that he apparently hadn't heard the door. Hermione stood for a long moment, watching him. She shivered slightly as a bone-chilling cold crept beneath the cloak and her robe. As she continued watching Malfoy, she saw him shiver ever so slightly. She moved silently past the rows of empty desks, and paused next to his shoulder.  
  
"Hey," she finally managed to sputter.  
  
Draco turned his head, pulling out his wand in a fluid motion.  
  
"Lumos!" he said, looking for the intruder. He didn't see anyone.  
  
Hermione suddenly realized that she had forgotten to remove the cloak. Sheepishly, she pushed back the hood and unclasped the front, placing the discarded item on a nearby chair.  
  
As Hermione appeared before him, he stared, slack-jawed. "What in the world are you doing here?" he asked, unable to hide the amazement in his voice.  
  
"I---" she paused. She couldn't tell him about the map; he already knew too much.  
  
"Following me, Granger?" he smirked.  
  
"Wh--, no! I---" she again faltered, she didn't want him to think that she was following him, but it was preferable to the alternative. "Fine, yes, I was." She forced the words to exit her mouth.  
  
"So, you couldn't resist my charisma?"  
  
"Yes, that's exactly it, Ferret Boy!" she snapped.  
  
"Hey, careful there, Mudblood. I thought we had ourselves some sort of truce."  
  
"Yeah, well, I'm calling it off for now," she flared.  
  
"Good, I would prefer to call you Mudblood. It fits you so much better than Granger," he laughed derisively. "I'm glad to know that you have realized your own mistake in ever suggesting a truce. You obviously realize that Mudblood is much more descriptive a term for you."  
  
Without thought, Hermione's hand rose and slapped Draco, hard, across his cheek. The slap echoed sharply in the cold, empty room. He was not prepared for the slap, but managed to keep the shock of pain from showing in his eyes.  
  
"What the hell was that for?" he demanded, as he grabbed her wrist before she could repeat the action.  
  
"Let go of me!" She attempted to twist her wrist from his grip.  
  
"Not until you tell me why you did that," he growled, tightening his grip against her struggle.  
  
She stopped her struggle and met his steely glare with her glistening one. Draco felt another strange pang in his stomach when he saw the tears, and let go of Hermione's wrist. She rubbed her bruised wrist with her other hand, and fought to bite back her tears.  
  
"Why did you do that?" Draco asked again, this time without malice in his voice.  
  
"Because, I'm sick of your insults. I am just as good a witch as you are a wizard, and yet, you are so caught up in your stereotypes that you can't even acknowledge that." She lost the battle with her tears as one slowly traced along the contours of her face. She stepped back from the now standing figure of Draco and slumped into one of the chairs in the classroom. "I have never done anything to so deserve your hatred, and yet, that's all I ever get from you, hatred." She buried her head into her hands as the tears broke forth in earnest.  
  
Awkwardly, Draco watched the shaking form of Hermione. He felt the desire to comfort her, the urge to wrap her protectively in his arms, but fought it. Hesitantly, he reached out a hand and placed it gingerly on her shoulder. Violently, she shrugged off the offensive hand, sniffled back her tears, and stood, lightening flashing in her russet eyes.  
  
"Don't you ever touch me again, Malfoy." Turning on her heel, she stormed across the room, slammed open the door, and moved into the hallway. Distractedly, she marched up the first flight of stairs, forgetting to skip the false step. She felt the floor give out beneath her, and a scream escaped her lips. The ground rushed up to meet her, slamming unyieldingly against her lower jaw. She heard a splintering sound and felt pain flooding through her face.  
  
Whimpering, she grasped the edge of the adjacent step and tried to extricate herself. The intense pain was unbearable. Her hands were beginning to slip. The world was spinning, and she was hearing voices call her name. No, one voice; a familiar voice. She felt someone grip her arm just as she passed out.  
  
Draco struggled to hold onto the now unconscious Hermione. With all the strength he could muster, he worked to pull her out of the hole.  
  
"Damn false step," he muttered, as he finally managed to pull her out. He lifted her limp body into his arms, almost stumbling backwards. Once he had regained his balance, he quickly started towards the hospital wing. Glancing down at Hermione's face was enough to cause even his strong stomach to feel nauseous. Her jawbone looked as if it had shattered into hundreds of pieces. Blood was coursing from her nose, mixing with the blood on her malformed chin.  
  
Pausing in his headlong rush, he placed her on the stone floor, ripped a strip from the hem of his robe, and tried to stem the flow of blood. It wouldn't do any good to take her to Madam Pomfrey if she bled to death first. Satisfied that the flow of blood had slowed enough, he carefully scooped her back up and continued on his way.  
  
Barreling through the doors, he yelled, "Madam Pomfrey! Quick, I need your help!"  
  
The bustling figure of Madam Pomfrey rushed from her office, eager to reprimand the student who dared to raise their voice in her shrine. Before a word could be uttered, she saw Draco Malfoy standing before her, terror in his eyes, holding the limp form of a grotesquely deformed Hermione Granger.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy," she breathed, finding her voice, "what happened?"  
  
"She slipped through a false step. Help her," he pleaded, his voice cracking.  
  
Recovering from her momentary lapse in training, Madam Pomfrey swept down upon Draco removing Hermione from his arms. She quickly laid the prone girl on one of the many crisp, white hospital cots. Muttering under her breath about how many times she had told Headmaster Dumbledore to fix those false steps, she began her ministrations. Draco stepped back, anxious to not be in the way, and watched as Madam Pomfrey cleaned up the blood, removed dangling teeth from Hermione's mouth, and began to examine the full extent of the damage.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy," she said.  
  
Draco's eyes shifted from Hermione to Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"I need your assistance, please."  
  
He nodded and stepped towards her.  
  
"Put a hand here and here," she said, placing his hands on each side of her head, before rushing off to retrieve a potion from her storeroom.  
  
Gently, he held her head between his hands. Unbidden, a tear trickled out of the corner of his eye, and fell onto Hermione's forehead. He watched the tear land, and jumped back. A feeling of horror overtook him. What was he doing here? She was just a mudblood. He was being trained to desire this type of pain for a mudblood; to cause this type of pain. His father, what would his father say? He continued to back up.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy? What's the problem?"  
  
He snapped his head around and saw Madam Pomfrey staring at him, a bottle held in her hands. He narrowed his eyes at her, turned away from Hermione and bolted from the room.  
  
  
  
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Okay, now review.  
  
Did my fight make sense?  
  
Did I move too quickly through it?  
  
Should I build up a bit more tension before Hermione slaps him?  
  
Did the false step scene make you nauseous? (My husband visibly paled when I read that section to him.)  
  
I am trying to bring across the idea that Draco is fighting a battle inside, a battle of his beliefs about mudbloods, and, obviously, Hermione. Is that coming across? Or do I need to give more information about it?  
  
Please, review!!!!!  
  
And now to thank some great readers/reviewers:  
  
-Elfin Warrior Maiden: Thank you!! Hope you enjoyed chapter 6, well, and this chapter also. =)  
  
-Sage of Darkness: I'm glad you like the summary. I hoped it would prove useful.  
  
-OneTurnOuttaTune: I can't wait to see how it unfolds either. I like your curse idea. I will log it into my 'think about' section. =)  
  
-blueberry girl: thanks, I hope it stays interesting.  
  
-Anonymous: I will, thank you.  
  
-CatalinaRose: I'm glad, I am deathly afraid of cheesiness. I am working really hard to keep everyone in character, it is tough, though. I was also thinking about Narnia. Something along the lines of stuff from 'Dawn Treader'. Thanks for your great reviews, by the way. =)  
  
-ilovespike-02: Thanks, I will.  
  
-f0xyness39: YES!!  
  
-krisis81: Thank you so much for your kind words. It makes my heart feel happy and warm. 


	9. Monday Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world.  
  
Summary (Chp. 1-5): Dumbledore plans a sailing class and field trip to be taught by Dr. Gavin Branefeld. Slytherin's and Gryffindor's are teamed up, with Draco and Hermione being put together as partners by Professor Sinistra (witch). D/Hr write a report on the Vintmoor, which discovered the Island of Malnese. Captain Solstine finds his wife, dead, on the Island, goes berserk. Hermione borrows Harry's map and cloak to go to the restricted section of the library. Draco goes to the library where he finds out about the cloak. After a confrontation with Draco, Hermione is injured and he takes her to Madam Pomfrey.  
  
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Chapter 8: Monday Night  
  
"She is going to be just fine." Hermione heard a voice cut through the fog in her mind.  
  
"But, what happened?" questioned a second voice.  
  
"She stepped through a false step," the first voice answered.  
  
A new voice piped in. "How does that happen by stepping into a false step? Neville steps into them all the time. I fell into one myself last year."  
  
"She must have been moving quickly, and some of those false steps have deeper holes beneath them," the first voice, which Hermione now recognized as Madam Pomfrey, explained.  
  
"Well, when will she be better?" Hermione recognized Ron's voice this time.  
  
"As you can see, I have had to remove the entire lower jaw structure. When she awakens, I will give her a draught of Skele-Gro, and then it's just a matter of time."  
  
She heard a sound of empathy coming from the vicinity of the left side of her head. "I hope it won't be as painful as having to regrow all the bones in my arm." She now recognized that Harry was the third voice.  
  
Her head was pounding, and her mouth felt strange. She tried to remember what had happened. She recalled hearing the voices talking about a false step, and her jaw missing. She couldn't understand what they meant. She moaned from the pain that she was suffering.  
  
"Hermione?" Harry crouched by her, gently taking her small hand into his. "Can you hear me?"  
  
She tried to turn her head, but something was preventing her mobility, so she tried to open her mouth to speak, but her mouth wouldn't obey her brain. Finally, she forced her eyes open, the low light causing her to squint. She made out the face of a concerned Harry looking down upon her.  
  
"Don't try to talk, just squeeze my hand if you hear me." She squeezed his hand as hard as she could.  
  
"Mr. Potter, if you don't mind." The figure of Madam Pomfrey firmly pushed Harry to the side. "Hermione," she said, picking up the hand that Harry had been previously holding, "I need you to squeeze my hand once if you understand me, and twice when you don't. Do you understand?" She waited until Hermione gave her a single squeeze. "Good. Mr. Malfoy__"  
  
At the name of Malfoy, Ron interrupted. "Malfoy, what the hell were you doing with Malfoy?" Hermione moved her eyes to the right and saw his red face. "Of all the___"  
  
"Mr. Weasley! If you can't keep quiet, I will have you thrown out of here. What is important is not who Miss Granger was with, but what she remembers from last night." She glared at him until, contritely, he stepped back, out of Hermione's peripheral vision. "Now, as I was saying. Mr. Malfoy brought you in here late last night. Do you remember that?" Hermione squeezed twice. "I thought you might not. You were unconscious when he brought you in. He said that you had stepped through a false step, do you remember that?"  
  
When Madam Pomfrey mentioned the false step again, it all rushed back to her; the sound of something shattering; the intense pain that followed; the voice, his voice, that she heard; Draco grasping her arms; she couldn't recall anything after that. She closed her eyes and gave Madam Pomfrey a single, hard squeeze.  
  
"He said you were unconscious before he was able to get you out of the hole, is that true?" She waited for the single squeeze. "It is probably for the best that you were." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Apparently, when you fell into the false step, you're lower jaw hit the stone stair above it, shattering it." Madam Pomfrey held Hermione's hand a little tighter, feeling it tremble. "I have had to remove the lower jaw and teeth. Now that you are awake, I will be able to give you the Skele-Gro potion to regrow your jaw. Because of the pain involved, I will be also be giving you a Dreamless Sleep potion."  
  
There, she paused. She allowed Hermione the time to process what had been told to her. After a few moments, Hermione opened her eyes, and looked into the kindly face of Madam Pomfrey. She gave a single squeeze of her hand to indicate that she had heard and understood. Madam Pomfrey gave a curt nod of her head, released Hermione's hand, and produced a potion bottle.  
  
"You must drink this all, then I will give you the sleep potion." Hermione swallowed the first bitter potion, followed quickly by the second. As her eyes grew heavy, she saw the concerned faces of Ron and Harry looming over her. There was something that she needed to tell Harry, but, before she could remember, the dreamless sleep potion carried her away in its comforting embrace.  
  
When Hermione awoke, the room was dark and quiet. She could feel a dull, deep throb in her jaw. Carefully, she reached up to touch her face. She quickly discovered why she had been unable to move her head. Some type of contraption was holding her head, and jaw, in place. Gently she probed her new jaw. It felt squishy, and, as she touched it, pain erupted across it. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the pain. Slowly it ebbed, and she could feel tears on her face.  
  
Trying to ignore the dull throbbing, she thought back to last night. Why had Malfoy come to her aid? If he hadn't, she would have been found the next morning by someone else, wouldn't she? Did Malfoy actually have a heart underneath that cold exterior? This was something to think about.  
  
A new thought occurred to her, it was Monday night; that meant she had missed the first day of their sailing class. With a groan she wondered how far she'd be behind. Even though she sailed often with her Grandpa, she wasn't certain if that would help her in this class. She hoped that she'd be able to get out of here soon. She didn't want to fall behind in the rest of her classes, either.  
  
She closed her eyes, preparing to get some more rest, when they popped open in horror. She had left the Invisibility Cloak, Harry's Invisibility Cloak, in that classroom. How could she have been such a scatterbrain? Harry would kill her. Well, maybe not kill her, but he certainly wouldn't be happy with her. There had to be someway to get it.  
  
She felt around the contraption for any release mechanisms. Finding a promising button, she pushed it; she heard a popping noise and felt the slight pressure around her face give. Cautiously, she tried to sit up. She managed to do so, but her head violently protested. The entire room seemed to turn itself upside down.  
  
Hermione forced herself to stay sitting, reasoning that the room would eventually right itself. After a few moments, it did just that. Taking a deep breath, she stood, gripping the bedside table firmly with her hands. Standing wasn't as bad as the sitting had been, but she wasn't sure how she was going to get any farther. The classroom, where she was headed, was on the opposite side of the school; but she had to try.  
  
Before she took another step, however, it occurred to her that her clothing seemed rather lightweight. Looking down she saw that she was dressed in a crisp, white gown. The thin material stopped abruptly six inches above her knees. She couldn't wander around Hogwarts like this. Looking around she saw her own robe hanging on a hook on the other side of her bed. Carefully, holding herself up on the footboard of the bed, she maneuvered herself towards the hook. Quietly she removed the robe and slipped it on over the gown.  
  
Taking a deep breath she straightened up and turned around. She felt stronger with each step she took, and her confidence grew. She would have to be careful, but she was determined to make it to the classroom to get that cloak. As she reached out to push back the white curtains that encapsulated her temporary room, she froze; she strained her ears. She thought she had heard the door to the hospital wing click closed.  
  
Finally, deciding it had been her imagination, she cautiously pushed aside the curtains, and stared into the murky darkness of the room. Everything was silent. She took a step forward, and ran into something. Falling hard, she looked around to see what she possibly could have hit. She didn't see a thing. She started to push herself up with one hand, rubbing her backside with the other, when she was definitely sure she had heard a noise.  
  
"Whose there?" she hissed into the darkness, pausing in her attempt to get up. "I know you're here." For a long moment she heard nothing; then Malfoy materialized in front of her. She gasped slapping her hand over her mouth. As she did so, pain blossomed across her face; tears welled up in her eyes. She had forgotten that she was still regrowing her jaw.  
  
When Draco saw her eyes gloss over in pain, he reached down, and scooped her up into his strong arms; he carried her back to her cot. Gently he laid her down smoothing her bushy hair back against her head. The desire to lay down with her, wrap his arms around her, and hold her was almost too much to bear; he fought the feeling, and, instead, kept smoothing back her hair.  
  
The pain finally diminished. She looked up at Draco. "Why are you here?" She stared quizzically into his gray eyes.  
  
"I---I---you left Harry's Cloak behind last night. I figured you might want it." He said this as he held up the Cloak.  
  
"You---you brought the Cloak?" Her eyebrows knit together in confusion. Why in the world would Draco bring it to her? If he knew she had left it, why wouldn't he have taken it himself?  
  
Awkwardly, the two students waited. Draco realized that he was still stroking Hermione's hair; quickly he drew back his hand, his gaze meeting Hermione's. She didn't appear angry that he had touched her; it almost looked as if she were sad that he had removed his hand. Without saying anything he folded the Cloak and placed it between the bed and the bedside table.  
  
"So, does it hurt, much?" He tried to make his voice sound natural.  
  
"Only when I touch it, otherwise, it's just a dull throb." She couldn't figure out what to think about Draco. She wasn't sure why he had brought her the cloak, and why had he been touching her hair in such an intimate way? Worse, why did she want him to do it again?  
  
"Well, I'm going to go." He stood and smoothed his robes. As he turned to go, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Turning his head, he looked down at Hermione.  
  
"Wait." 'What am I doing?' she thought. "What did I miss in class today?"  
  
Draco, strangely relieved that she had asked him to stay, turned back around and sat on the edge of her cot. "Not much. Dr. Branefeld spent the first hour with us and gave us an overview of what we will be doing over the next few months. Basically, we will do a lot of bookwork first. You know, things like learning what to call the different parts of a ship; what all the different types of knots are called; sailor terminology. Then we will eventually go out to the lake and sail in small two man boats where we will put a lot of our classroom knowledge into action." He paused, suddenly noticing that his fingers were intertwined with Hermione's. He met her eyes; she gave him a small smile.  
  
He fought his initial urge to pull away, instead giving into that inner voice, and gripping her hand a little tighter.  
  
"Is that all?" Hermione felt strangely comforted holding Draco's hand. She didn't know why, but it felt good.  
  
Draco tore his eyes away from her searching gaze. "Well, after he left, Professor Sinistra had us open ::The Anatomy of a Ship:: and we worked through chapters one and two. We have homework; of course, he have to work on it together."  
  
"Mr. Malfoy! What are you doing here? You shouldn't be out of your dorm." He turned to look up into the flashing eyes of Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"I---I just wanted to check on Gr---Hermione," he stammered, pulling his hand from Hermione's grip. Hermione stifled a smile at the way it felt when she heard her name on Draco's lips.  
  
"Well, you've checked on her. Now, go, before I take points away from Slytherin."  
  
With a last look back at Hermione, he shrugged, and turned to leave the room.  
  
"And you, young lady, why are you wearing your robes?" Without waiting for an answer, she helped Hermione back out of the robes, and gave her another dose of the Dreamless Sleep potion. After Hermione was tucked properly back into bed, including being strapped back into the contraption, her eyes slid closed, and she tried to keep an image of Draco out of her mind.  
  
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Okay, there it is. Hope you liked it. Now, review.  
  
To my reviewers:  
  
-blueberry girl: Thanks. Sure, I would love to read your stuff. (Except, only the HP stuff, and sometimes, original.)  
  
-Sage of Darkness: Good! I am try very hard to make the characters behave in a realistic manner.  
  
-Chikata: Thank you. I enjoy spelling; it's sort of an obsession with me. I try to make every chapter move the plot along, so detail is important.  
  
-CatalinaRose: You know, you'll just have to wait to find out about the room. grins evilly (Look for the next chapter)  
  
-OneTurnOuttaTune: Good question. I will give it some deep thought.  
  
-f0xyness39: Whoa there. =)  
  
-CrystallineLily: I'm glad you love it.  
  
-Fiery-chan: I enjoy details. By the way, what does 'ttyl' mean? 


	10. A Decision Is Made

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world.  
  
Summary (Chp. 1-8): A sailing class/field trip is planned. Slytherin/Gryffindor is teamed up. Draco/Hermione are paired up. The class is taught by Professor Sinistra/Dr. Branefeld. D/Hr research the Vintmoor/Island of Malnese. Hr borrows H cloak/map to go to restricted section, runs into D. When she heads back to Gryffindor, she changes her mind and goes to see D (in an empty classroom), they have a fight, she leaves, shatters her jaw on a false step. D takes her to Madam Pomfrey, fights an inner battle over his attitude towards her. Hr awakens on Monday night, remembers she left H cloak, D shows up and brings it to her. They hold hands, Madam Pomfrey tells D to leave.  
  
_____________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 9: A Decision Is Made  
  
Stalking down the dark hallway, Draco clenched and unclenched his jaw. If he didn't know better, he would swear he was deranged. Then again, maybe he was deranged. That was the nature of being deranged; not knowing that you were.  
  
As he reached the dungeon steps, he paused. Turning on his heel, he headed back the direction he had come. Careful to blend in with the shadows, he maneuvered his way to the classroom. Entering, he let go a long sigh. The room was still bitterly cold. Pulling his robe tightly around him, he moved through the moonlit room to the window.  
  
Looking out on the desolate nighttime grounds of Hogwarts, he let his mind wander. It felt so good to be alone; it felt so good to not have to pretend. He had been acting for so long, he didn't even know who he was. Crabbe and Goyle, his faithful bodyguards, were just that, bodyguards. They expected Draco to behave in a certain way, just as he expected them to behave in a certain way. It was a simplistic relationship; it was a tiring relationship.  
  
What was even more tiring were the thoughts plaguing his mind, and, dare he believe, his heart? When she had unexpectedly shown up in this room last night, his heart had leaped into his throat. Out of habit, he had insulted her. It was their version of a simplistic relationship; a relationship that he was tiring of. It took energy to insult her; energy he needed to mask the conflict he was feeling.  
  
The slap; that had done it. It propelled him from uncertainty to action; but then her eyes had filled with tears. His heart had pounded with a hitherto unknown ferocity. When she had begun to weep, he felt a tug of -- -guilt? He wasn't sure; he'd never felt guilty before. His attempt at comfort, brusquely refused, was understandable.  
  
Watching her storm out of the room had brought him a strange mixture of relief and sorrow. Relief that she had left; sorrow that she had left. Abruptly he stood and began to pace the length of the room, the echo of Hermione's scream still reverberated in his mind. He shuddered when he recalled her deformed jaw. It made no sense to him why he should have reacted in such way. He'd seen worse; he'd done worse.  
  
He thought he had come to his senses that night, when the thought of what his father would say entered his mind. He had been determined to replace his mask and move on. But then he had found that damn Invisibility Cloak. Instinct told him to keep it; it would come in handy. Then that voice, that new voice, strongly suggested he return it.  
  
All day Monday he had been plagued over what to do with that Cloak. He hadn't intended to give it back, not even when he went to the hospital wing. He had told himself that he was just going to check on her. The Invisibility Cloak would allow him to get there, see her, and get back without anyone, especially Hermione, seeing him.  
  
He hadn't been prepared to see her out of bed. When she ran into him and fell, he had wanted to grab her. But he froze. Not until she spoke did he decide to reveal himself. His heart lurched when he remembered the pain in her eyes after she had smacked her still healing chin. Then he went and held her hand? What was he thinking? He continued to pace, these thoughts flooding his mind.  
  
As he passed by the window again, he paused. Once again he was struck with the absolute serenity that the moon cast onto the empty Hogwarts' ground. He wished that he could gather up that peace and instill into his own life. A derisive laugh escaped his throat. Peace, what was wrong with him? He had been bred by, and for, strife. Peace was to be the furthest thing from his mind. He leaned against the windowsill; an escaping tear brought him out of his thoughts.  
  
With horror, he reached up and roughly wiped at the offensive tear. 'Look at what that Mudblood is doing to me!' he thought, angrily. He pushed himself from the wall, casting a long glance back out the window, and left; he had made his decision.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
Hermione awoke early on Tuesday morning to sunlight streaming through the high windows in the hospital wing. Gingerly, she reached up and felt her jaw; she didn't feel any pain. She carefully worked her jaw. It was stiff, but felt fine.  
  
"Good morning, Ms. Granger." Madam Pomfrey pushed back the curtains and handed Hermione a bowl of porridge. "Eat this, please, and then you are free to head back to your dormitory. Your jaw will feel a bit stiff for the rest of the day, but, other than that, you're perfectly fine. Please watch those false steps, I don't want to see you in here again." Madam Pomfrey smiled at Hermione, and then turned to move to another student's bed.  
  
Hermione quickly downed the bowl of chunky, sticky porridge, wishing it were bacon and eggs. Putting down the empty bowl, she stood up, removed her hospital gown, put on her school robes, and turned to leave. As she stepped away from the bed, she remembered Harry's cloak. She reached down to pick it up, and felt a warmth rise in her cheeks. He had held her hand.  
  
As quickly as the thought entered her mind, she shook her head. What did it matter if he had held her hand? He was Malfoy; just Malfoy. Gathering the Cloak carefully in her arms, she marched purposefully out of the hospital and headed to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"Hermione!" Harry's face lit up when he saw her walk through the entrance to the tower. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Much better, thank you." She gave him a warm smile, handing him his Cloak. "Regrowing bones; it's really not much fun, is it?"  
  
He grinned back at her as he folded up his returned Cloak.  
  
"Did you find what you were looking for in the library?" he questioned.  
  
"Yes. I shoved the book I found into a secret corridor. Oh, here's your Map. Thanks for letting me borrow it, and the Cloak." She pulled the Marauder's Map out of the inner pocket of her robe, and handed it to Harry who shoved it into the folds of his Invisibility Cloak while muttering that it was not a problem.  
  
"Hermione!" Ron screeched, flying down the stairs, and skidding to a halt next to Harry. "You're back.."  
  
"It would appear so."  
  
"Good, because I need some help on my Transfiguration homework."  
  
Harry gave him a sharp poke in the ribs with his elbow.  
  
"I mean, how are you doing?" he said, his ears turning pink.  
  
"Much better, thank you."  
  
"Good, I'm glad, really I am, but, I still need help with my homework," he pleaded.  
  
"Well, I can't help you with it now. We have class in an hour and half, and I still have to get myself cleaned up and have time to eat a real breakfast."  
  
"Madam Pomfrey gave you the porridge, huh?" Harry grimaced. Hermione nodded and returned his grimace.  
  
"But what about my homework?" Ron whined.  
  
"Ron, if you are going to insist on doing your homework at the last minute, you'll have to learn to suffer the consequences. I'll be back in a while." Hermione then turned and ascended the stairs to her dorm, leaving a gaping Ron behind her.  
  
"Can you believe it? Doesn't she even care if I fail Transfiguration?"  
  
Harry hid a grin, and headed up to his dorm to put away his Cloak and Map, leaving a frantic Ron at an empty table trying to figure out his homework.  
  
Thirty minutes later a freshly dressed Hermione, a grinning Harry, and a fuming Ron exited the tower and briskly walked to the Great Hall.  
  
"Pass me some more of that bacon," Hermione motioned to Ron. He handed her the plate and she pulled a handful off.  
  
"Whoa, slow down with the eating there. You act like you haven't eaten in weeks." He placed the significantly lighter plate back on the table.  
  
"Well," Hermione managed between bites, "it almost feels that way." She followed a bite of bacon with a swallow of cranberry juice. "I haven't had a decent meal since Sunday. And Harry can confirm that Madam Pomfrey's porridge is nothing to be proud of." Harry nodded his confirmation as he poured himself another glass of orange juice.  
  
"So, you told me that you found a book and hid it. What was the book about?" Harry generously buttered a raisin bran muffin and took a large bite.  
  
"Well, it's about the Island, I think." She put her fork down and reached for the platter of eggs, piling a generous helping of the yellow mass on her plate. "A wizard was saying how he was scared that he wouldn't be able to get off the Island and that he was afraid." She paused to take a bite of the eggs. "But that was a far as we got, before Filch showed up."  
  
"We?" Harry's eyebrows knit together.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You said 'we'. Who are we?"  
  
"I didn't say we," she protested, her face visibly flushing as she realized her error.  
  
"Actually, you did," confirmed Ron, picking out a particularly sticky cinnamon roll from a large platter.  
  
She looked across the table at Ron. "Did I? I didn't mean we. I---," her voice faltered as she caught Draco looking at her from across the room. He glared at her, mouthed 'mudblood', and turned back to a conversation with a fellow Slytherin.  
  
"Hey, Hermione?" A hand waved in front of her eyes. "You okay?"  
  
She shook her head, and turned to look into the emerald green eyes of Harry. "Yeah, I---I guess I'm still just a little tired."  
  
"Okay, if you say so." Harry didn't sound convinced.  
  
"It's time to head to class." Hermione abruptly stood, picked up her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for Ron and Harry to get up.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
  
  
"I just don't get it! Why is it so important to be able to turn a book into a turtle?" Ron complained as the three students moved through the crowed halls after Transfiguration. He had managed to give his book a tail and four legs, much to his chagrin.  
  
"It's not that the actual turning of a book into a turtle is important, Ron, it's the process that is important," Hermione patiently explained. Ron never had particularly enjoyed Transfiguration. "So, how did class go on Monday morning?"  
  
"Oh, it went well," Harry said. "Dr. Branefeld is an interesting guy. He gave us a run down on the class. We're going to go sailing in two man boats in a few months."  
  
"I know, isn't it exciting?" Hermione enthusiastically said.  
  
"What do you mean, you know?" questioned Ron. "We just told you."  
  
She realized her slip, and tried to cover it up. "I know that, Ron. I- --I just figured that we would have to get out in boats. And Professor Sinistra did say that we would be moving outside to the lake late in the semester."  
  
Ron and Harry looked askance at each other, Ron shrugging his shoulders, as if to say, well, she is bloody smart.  
  
"Well, look who it is, the Mudblood, Potter and Weasel," Draco, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, drawled as the trio turned a corner.  
  
Ron glared at Draco as he stepped in front of Hermione. "What the hell do you want, Malfoy?" he spit.  
  
"Once again, I must hunt down Granger to set up a time to complete our homework." He gave a nonchalant shrug. "I would swear she was trying to avoid me."  
  
"You know that she was in the hospital wing all day yesterday, Malfoy," Harry stated, stepping up to stand by Ron, effectively blocking Hermione from view. "After all, according to Madam Pomfrey, it was you who brought her to the hospital wing." He narrowed his eyes at Draco. "Just how you happened to be around when Hermione hurt herself is interesting. Come to think of it, Hermione doesn't remember much about the whole accident. Maybe you had a hand in it," he growled.  
  
"I don't have any idea what you are talking about, Potter. Why would I ever help a Mudblood?" He gave Potter his best Death Eater glare.  
  
"Are you saying that Pomfrey was lying to us?" Ron questioned.  
  
"No, but she was probably mistaken. If Mudblood Granger was injured, why would I lift a finger to help her?"  
  
Ron, hands balling into fists, was ready to let fly, when Hermione stepped forward, grabbing Ron's arm.  
  
"Let me talk to him," she muttered darkly. Without waiting for any protest from Harry or Ron, she pushed between them. "You know, Malfoy, you are truly despicable. You and I both know that you took me to the hospital wing. I am truly sorry for you that you can't admit doing a good thing." She glared at him for a moment before continuing. "As far as our homework assignment goes, I will meet you in the library tonight after dinner. The sooner we get it done, the better." Hermione gave him a last glare, grabbed Harry and Ron's hands and pushed past Malfoy and his goons.  
  
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-Sage of Darkness: Thank you for your vote. Those blocks can be hard. =)  
  
-Slytherin hotchick(): Thank you much.  
  
-Chikata: Advice read; advice considered; thank you.  
  
-kai kai: I believe that that was the most popular choice. The e-mails are no problem. =)  
  
-Edainme(): Oh, I'm sorry. I am glad you are feeling better. I'm glad you liked my chapter. Yeah, someone felt icky about my step scene. (I worked HARD on that.)  
  
-Raven Summerset: Thank you. I hope that I can continue to keep it something worth reading.  
  
-blueberry girl: I love to listen to music to overcome my writers block as well. Thank you for the encouragement. I hope this chapter showed that I overcame my block well enough.  
  
-Firey-chan: I like that "air of mystery" phrase. I will do my best to write it in that way. Thank you for your offer of help.  
  
-Logical Philosophy: Well, I like your idea, but I felt the need to give at least a touch of his thoughts. I hope to not do it often, but I felt that I needed this chapter. I just hope I didn't give too much away.  
  
-janiko: Thank you. I liked your advice. I am hopefully going to do just that. =)  
  
-Snow White: Thank you. I hope that this chapter worked out well.  
  
-Akuma Kanada no Tenchi: What are you getting grounded for? I used to get grounded for bad grades. I never did my homework. Don't tell my students!! You find my job exquisite!?! Wow, that is such a cool compliment. **blushes furiously**  
  
-CatalinaRose: Hey, who wants to grow up? Let's fly on out to Never-Never Land!! **races crazily around the room singing 'Following the Leader'** Whoa, what was that!! Thanks for your advice. Writers block sucks. Hope this chapter is a good break out of my block. 


	11. The Hydrophanous Orb

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world.  
  
Summary (Chp. 1-9): A sailing class/field trip is planned. Slytherin/Gryffindor is teamed up. Draco/Hermione are paired up. The class is taught by Professor Sinistra/Dr. Branefeld. D/Hr research the Vintmoor/Island of Malnese. Hr borrows H cloak/map to go to restricted section, runs into D. When she heads back to Gryffindor, she changes her mind and goes to see D (in an empty classroom), they have a fight, she leaves, shatters her jaw on a false step. D takes her to Madam Pomfrey, fights an inner battle over his attitude towards her. Hr awakens on Monday night, remembers she left H cloak, D shows up and brings it to her. They hold hands, Madam Pomfrey tells D to leave. D goes through things in his head; makes a decision. Hr leaves hospital.  
  
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Chapter 10: The Hydrophanous Orb  
  
Hermione stormed down the hallway dragging her confused friends along with her. She pushed her way through the crowd of students in the doorway, and continued across the grounds of Hogwarts towards Hagrid's and their Care of Magical Creatures class. She desperately worked to keep the tears from her eyes. That was the last thing that she needed right now.  
  
'How dare he!' she thought, violently wrenching Harry and Ron along with her. 'Why can't he admit that he helped me? It's that stupid Malfoy pride! Why am I even upset about this? It's not like I even care about him.' The churning her stomach argued with her head; obviously, on some level, she did care.  
  
"Her---Hermione! Slow down," Harry finally managed to spit out. He pulled his hand out of hers, and ran to step in front of her. "Hermione, stop!" With the help of Ron, the two stopped Hermione.  
  
"Let go of me!" She knew what they wanted, but she wasn't ready.  
  
"Hermione, what's going on?" Harry had let go of her, though Ron kept a firm grip on her.  
  
"Ron, let go!" She struggled, finally throwing Ron off, and ran the rest of the way to Hagrid's. Harry and Ron stared after her.  
  
"What was that all about?" Ron turned to look at Harry. Harry merely shrugged his shoulders, and started to head in the direction Hermione had run.  
  
"I don't really want to try and guess."  
  
"Well, that git, Malfoy, better just stay away from Hermione. I haven't seen her act so strange since the Yule Ball last year." Ron finished his sentence as they reached Hagrid's hut. Outside were wooden stands on which were placed large glass jars. Sapphire blue streaks zipped around the inside of each jar. "I wonder what Hagrid's got in store for us," Ron muttered, as he and Harry moved past the tables, and a gang of Slytherin's, to the group of talking Gryffindors. Hermione looked the other way as Harry and Ron approached.  
  
"Hermione, look, we're sorry. Can you tell us what's going on?" Harry's forehead creased in concern.  
  
"Not now. Just leave me alone!" Hermione snapped.  
  
Harry stepped away from her when he noticed that she visibly paled. Whether she paled from anger or some other reason, he wasn't sure, though he took note of her clenched jaw and balled fists. The, he followed her gaze and saw Malfoy and his shadows strutting across the expanse of lawn. Malfoy glared at Hermione, and she narrowed her eyes back at him. Harry nodded to himself, and turned when he heard the door to Hagrid's hut open.  
  
"G'day class," Hagrid boomed, lumbering down the steps of his large hut. "Step right up ter the tables. No use in bein' shy." He grinned a toothy grin at Harry. "T'day we're goin' begin ter learn 'bout Billywigs. Professor Snape's runnin' low on his supply of their stingers, an' we're goin' ter be helpin' 'im out by breedin' a whole mess of 'em Billywigs." Reluctantly, the students gathered around the wooden tables.  
  
"So, that's what they are," Harry heard Hermione mutter to herself. "I thought the color was familiar."  
  
Harry looked sideways at Hermione, gently nudged her, and gave her a smile. "Hey, sorry. We're just worried about you."  
  
For a moment, she met his smile with a stony glare, but, as usual, Harry's sincerity won out. "I know. Let's talk about it later, okay?" Her glared turned to a smile. She then caught Ron's eye, with a grin in his direction. Relief flooded through the three as their tension melted. They looked over at Hagrid as he continued.  
  
"Okay, class. T'day yer goin' learn 'bout how to feed Billywigs. Get out yer textbook and find the chapter on 'em." Hagrid moved about, checking to see that the students were finding the right sections in their books. For the next hour, they worked on finding the correct plants to feed to their Billywigs, and tried to not get stung. Even Neville managed to make it through the class without a problem.  
  
"Good job t'day, class." Hagrid boomed at the end of the very successful Care of Magical Creatures class. "Yeh need ter write me a two- foot report on the uses o' the Billywig's parts b'fore our next meetin'." He then dismissed the class.  
  
"Great, let's go get some lunch," Ron said, grabbing his textbooks.  
  
The three students moved off in a phalanx towards the distant Hogwarts castle. They passed by Malfoy, who again glared at Hermione. She halted, and glared right back at him.  
  
"What is your problem, Malfoy?" She took a step closer to him.  
  
"Nothing, Mudblood. Just wondering how many Billywig stings it would take to get you to float away forever." With a derisive laugh, he turned on his heels, Crabbe and Goyle following his departing form.  
  
"I swear, I don't know how I'm going to make it through this year without hexing that prat." Hermione turned to look at Harry and Ron. "Shall we go, then?"  
  
"Sure, you know, we'd love to help you in the hexing of Malfoy," Ron said, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, I know." Hermione gave Ron a smile, and the three continued their way to the Great Hall.  
  
The rest of the afternoon passed well enough, with the exception of History of Magic. Hermione choose to ask Professor Binns about the Island of Malnese. Never had Hermione seen him get so worked up about anything, and the results were quiet embarrassing. He stared at her for a few long moments, told her the Island was a myth, and then berated her, such a smart student, for believing in such nonsense. He ranted at her for a full fifteen minutes, before getting on with the lesson: Giants, Their Rise and Fall.  
  
After Charms, during which the students spent time learning how to make objects spin at particular altitudes, the three headed to the Great Hall to eat.  
  
"Did you get a chance to look over the first two chapters in ::The Anatomy of a Ship::, Hermione?" Ron questioned, reaching for a plate of filet mignon.  
  
"Yeah. That's why I ate lunch so quickly and disappeared. I'm not about to let Malfoy know more than me when we start on our homework tonight." She finished her statement with a swig of grape juice. She quickly downed a plate of corn, mashed potatoes, and chicken, while Harry and Ron got caught up in a discussion of the upcoming Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.  
  
"Well, I'm out of here. I want to get to the library before Malfoy." She glanced across the room to check on his progress. Malfoy was deeply involved in a conversation with Malcolm Haddock, a rather brilliant third year, from what Hermione had heard. "He beat me to the library last time, and this time I want to be there first." She took a final gulp of grape juice, gathered up her bag, gave Harry and Ron a toothy grin, and flounced out of the Great Hall.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
Surprisingly, the homework assignment went well. Draco threw one 'mudblood' at her, to which she replied with a 'ferret boy'. Otherwise, they quickly finished the diagram of the outer hull of a ship in less than an hour, only speaking when absolutely necessary. Hermione rolled up the parchment, put it in her bag, and left the library without a glance back at Draco.  
  
"Duffer doofer," she said, moving past the Fat Lady and into the warmth of the Gryffindor common room. She maneuvered her way past groups of students who were engaged in various activities.  
  
"Hey, Hermione!" A shout from the far side of the room turned Hermione's head. Fred Weasley, who had recovered from his beak after two days, was gesturing for her to come over. "Come here, I need your advice on something." Hermione warily moved to the Weasley's corner.  
  
"What do you need help with?" She looked over Fred's shoulder, her eyes growing large with curiousity. "What is that?" She pointed at an object in Fred's hand. It was round, about the size of a golden snitch, and black; not a regular black, however. As she moved around Fred to sit on an empty stool, she noticed that the black seemed to shimmer and change, but it remained black. She couldn't describe it in any other way.  
  
Fred and George exchanged pleased glances, and looked at Hermione. "You don't know what this is?" Fred innocently questioned.  
  
"No, I don't." She reached out a hand to touch the object, which Fred generously placed in her hand. The object was much heavier than she would have suspected. She ran her fingers over the even, lustrous surface. The object was surprisingly cool. "What is it?" she again questioned.  
  
"It's called a hydrophanous orb. When you place it in water, or get it wet, it becomes transparent." George gave a smug look at Fred; apparently Hermione didn't know everything.  
  
"What is it used for?" Hermione couldn't take her eyes off the ball.  
  
"We don't really know," Fred admitted. "Maybe you could find out for us?" She looked up from the ball, giving Fred a friendly glare.  
  
"I suppose I could. Here," she handed the ball back to Fred.  
  
"Oh, no, that's okay. Hold onto it until you figure it out, then you can give it back to us."  
  
Hermione paused, suspiciously looking at the mirror faces of the twins. "How do I know that you're not simply trying to get me in trouble?"  
  
George ceremoniously placed his hand across his heart. "I swear, Hermione, we aren't."  
  
"We're just curious, and you are so much more adept at searching for unknown information." George saw a look of uncertainty cross Hermione's features. "Look, we all know that it was you who figured out the whole Nicolas Flamel thing. We just want you to use your amazing abilities to find out the secret behind this, okay?"  
  
"Fine, but if I get in trouble for having something illegal, you will both live to regret using me." She glared carefully into each face, and turned. But George halted her progress with his hand.  
  
"Oh, and don't tell anyone about this, okay? I mean, you can tell Harry and Ron, we know that they are trusty fellows, but don't let anyone else know."  
  
She gave them each one more suspicious look and headed across the common room to where Harry and Ron were playing a game of Wizard's Chess.  
  
"What did my brothers want, Hermione," Ron asked, after having moved his knight into a formidable defense.  
  
"They wanted me to look up some information for them."  
  
"Hmm." Ron replied, focusing on the unexpected move Harry had just made.  
  
"I'll let you two finish your game. I'm going to head up to my dorm and get some studying done. See you guys at 11:30." Grasping the still cold ball in her hand, she moved up the stairway and entered her room.  
  
_____________________________________________________________  
  
-Snow White: I am glad you think it is so much more real. Again, this is what I am going for. I think I may have passed my writers block. I have created a time line, of sorts, and I think that it will help.  
  
-f0xyness39: Patience is a virtue. There will be more about the island. I don't like the term 'snogging' though you are free to use it, and like it. But, there will be kissing, at some point. I just don't know when. I am working on keeping this realistic.  
  
-Akuma Kanada no Tenchi: Wow---you have a lot going on. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. By the way, Draco sends his regards. =)  
  
-Sage of Darkness: Yea!! The decision is vague. Just what I was hoping for. I'm glad you liked my chapter.  
  
-kai kai: I'm impressed that you are reading my story. I, sadly, do not know how to read another language. =(  
  
-Slytherin hot chick(): Watch for more romance to come, but not for a while.  
  
-Chikata: I hope your shopping trip went well. Hope you liked this new chapter.  
  
-CystallineLily: Thank you soooooo much.  
  
-Rebecca: I am happy that you like my story so much. Your review is one of the best ones I've ever had. **blushes with pride and embarrassment**. You are also the second person to specifically mention the hand holding scene. You have NO idea how much I debated putting that part into my story. Yes, I am writing a romance, but I'm desperately trying to keep the characters true to themselves. Okay, now I'm going to go. =)  
  
-janiko(): I'm glad that you like my story. I will be working hard to keep my chapters coming out quickly and well written. 


	12. Reading Stars and Books

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world.  
  
Summary (Chp. 1-9): A sailing class/field trip is planned. Slytherin/Gryffindor is teamed up. Draco/Hermione are paired up. The class is taught by Professor Sinistra/Dr. Branefeld. D/Hr research the Vintmoor/Island of Malnese. Hr borrows H cloak/map to go to restricted section, runs into D. When she heads back to Gryffindor, she changes her mind and goes to see D (in an empty classroom), they have a fight, she leaves, shatters her jaw on a false step. D takes her to Madam Pomfrey, fights an inner battle over his attitude towards her. Hr awakens on Monday night, remembers she left H cloak, D shows up and brings it to her. They hold hands, Madam Pomfrey tells D to leave. D makes a decision. Hagrid has his COM class start to work with Billywigs, and Fred and George give Hr a hydrophanous orb.  
  
_____________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 11: Reading Stars and Books  
  
Hermione, still puzzling over the cold object in her hands, glanced at the clock by her bed. Unbelievably, the timepiece read 11:15. Had she really been sitting here, looking at the orb, for almost three hours? No, she realized, she'd been thinking about the orb, yes, but just as often, her mind rested on Draco - no, Malfoy. His name was Malfoy.  
  
With a violent shake of her head, she placed the hydrophanous orb into a soft piece of cloth, and stowed it in her trunk. She grabbed her cloak, and, with a heavy sigh, pushed open the door to the common room. The room, mostly filled with fifth and sixth years, hummed with activity. She noticed that Fred and George had given up on their evenings plotting and were involved in a gregarious game of Exploding Snap with Ron. She gave them a smile when they waved at her, and moved down to the fire, where Harry sat, reading a book.  
  
"What are you reading, Harry?" Curiosity seeped from her. She couldn't recall the last time she had seen Harry reading a book when a viable game of Exploding Snap was available.  
  
"Huh?" He looked up to see a grinning Hermione. "Oh, I just figured I'd take a page from your book, and read ahead for tonight's Astronomy class. Can you believe we actually have a book for this class?" He laughed as he saw an incredulous look spread across her face.  
  
"Well, well, I guess you can still surprise me, and yes, I can believe it. I'm excited about having a book for this class." Harry gave her a look that quite plainly said she was nuts as Hermione sat down on the other end of the soft couch. Ron, apparently having lost the current game, rounded the couch and took a seat on a large cushion on the floor. "So, I guess you two want to know what's going on, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, we do. We haven't had a chance to talk to you at all about what happened on Sunday night." Ron gave her an encouraging smile.  
  
"Okay, well, I went to the library to find more information on the Island. While I was there, Malfoy showed up, ostensibly to look for information as well, so we looked together." Ron shot her a glare. "Hey, Harry knows how hard it is to find stuff in the Restricted Section," Harry gave a nod, "so it was helpful to have assistance, even if it was from Malfoy." Hermione paused, she still didn't know if she should tell them that Malfoy knew about the cloak; she decided not to. She took a deep breath, and continued with her lie of omission, watching her hands as she continued to speak. She repeated the rest of her story as she had rehearsed it in her head.  
  
"After I found the book, we heard Mrs. Norris, so we each went our separate ways. I came back up here, but decided to circle back to the library and make sure I couldn't find anything else. I hid the book I had found in a secret passageway; it was getting heavy.  
  
"I headed back towards the library, and I guess I must have been going too fast. I was distracted, and stepped through a false step. I suppose I'm lucky that Malfoy was still around. I remember that he grabbed my arms; the next thing I remember, you guys were there." She ended her fabrication, and looked up from her hands into Harry's face, and then Ron's. It looked like they bought her story.  
  
"So, Ferret Boy did help you." Ron looked a little perplexed at the idea that Malfoy could be anything but a heartless jerk.  
  
"Yes, he did. But, seeing as he obviously would like to pretend it didn't happen; let's keep it that way." She looked pointedly at each of her best friends. "But, anyway, we have to go if we don't want to be late for Astronomy. Oh, and Harry, I need to get that book at some point. Sooner would be better."  
  
"Okay, let me know when."  
  
Harry stood and helped Hermione off the couch. Ron moved over to the table where he had left his book, and the three moved out into the hall with the other fifth and sixth years.  
  
Pulling their cloaks tightly around themselves, the students poured out of the relative warmth of the castle onto the bitterly cold viewing platform where Astronomy was held. Class was only held indoors in the case of rain, snow, or too much cloud cover. But even when Hermione's cheeks became frozen, she happily listened to the instruction and worked on her class work. She loved Astronomy.  
  
The only thorn in her side was that they had to have Astronomy with Slytherin this year. The first four years they had had the class with Ravenclaw, but Dumbledore chose to 'mix it up' as he put it and regroup all the Astronomy classes. Hermione looked around, without really meaning to, to see if Malfoy had appeared yet. Not surprisingly, he had. He caught her glance at him, and, as if a magnet were activated, Hermione found that she couldn't look away.  
  
Her stomach began to churn; he had an unreadable look on his face. It wasn't hate, and it most definitely wasn't friendship or love; it appeared to be -- indifference? She tried to read into his eyes, but was interrupted when Professor Sinistra stepped onto the platform.  
  
"Good evening, students. We will be learning some very interesting material this year. You may have noticed that you were required to purchase a new text for this class this year." The students mumbled and nodded that, yes, they had. They had never needed textbooks for this class, so their grumbling was quite understandable.  
  
"Your textbook ::Navigating Through the Stars:: by Samuel T. Arbright, will be part of your preparation for our sailing trip this year. Seeing as we will be leaving our wands behind, it will behoove you to be able to quickly determine your position by the stars in the night sky.  
  
"Now, it is true that the particular constellations you will see on our trip will be very different from the ones' above our English sky, but the theory is the same." She asked the students to open their books, and launched into a lengthy lecture on how to determine North, South, East and West by the night sky. The lecture led into information about using latitude and longitude to determine position in relation to the night sky and earth.  
  
Hermione busily took notes, anxiously dreaming about the field trip, and using the skills she was learning. Long before a tired Hermione was ready, class was over. Hermione, Harry and Ron gathered up their supplies and turned to follow the stream of shivering students back into the castle.  
  
"Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy, could I have a word, please." Hermione turned back to a smiling Professor Sinistra, while an annoyed Draco stepped across the stone platform.  
  
"Yes, what is it?" Hermione questioned; Draco just stood silently.  
  
"In preparation for our field trip, each Professor has been asked to choose two students, with my help, who will be in charge of navigating the boat. Of course, the captain will make final decisions, but a navigator is needed, none the less." She waited for Hermione's nod, as confused as it was, and looked to be certain that Draco was attending to her as well.  
  
"What I am asking is that you two be our ship's navigators. Are you two willing to do this?" She waited as the two students glanced at each other, and looked back at her.  
  
"I'm willing, if Mal-Draco is," Hermione stated. They both looked at Draco, who gave a curt nod of his head.  
  
"Excellent. Now, to prepare, you two will be given a little more homework in my class, but for top students like you, it shouldn't be a problem. Each night, including weekends, you two need to come up here at a specific time; a time to be determined by the two you. You will need to follow the guidelines in appendix C in order to map the stars and determine the latitude and longitude of a particular constellation. The actual navigation while on board ship is a bit different, however, this will give you a good idea of how it works. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to ask.  
  
"I will expect updates on your homework every week at our sailing class. You will need to prepare a short presentation for each class period in order to share what you are learning with the rest of the class. You will get started on this assignment tomorrow night. By the way, be mindful that I have a class here every night from 12:00-12:45. It would be best if you were to choose a time before that. It will take you about thirty minutes to complete each night. You two are dismissed."  
  
The two students turned to leave. Hermione fought two emotions within her as they headed across the empty platform: excitement and disbelief.  
  
"So, now I have to spend a half hour every night with the super Mudblood? How did I ever get stuck in this position," Draco growled at Hermione.  
  
Hermione sighed with exasperation. "Once again, Malfoy, it was not my choice to be stuck with you, either. Let's just make the best of a horrible situation." They stepped back into the castle, and Hermione smiled gratefully at Harry and Ron who were waiting for her at the top of the stairway.  
  
"Potter, Weasel, afraid I may harm your dear Mudblood?" he sneered at them.  
  
"No, just afraid I may miss out on a chance to hex you, Malfoy," replied Ron. "As a matter of fact, it sounds like a good idea to me." Ron stepped forward, yanking his wand from his pocket, and pointed it at Malfoy, just as Professor Sinistra stepped into the corridor.  
  
"Mr. Weasley, whatever are you doing? Put your wand away. Unless you four want points taken from your houses, I would suggest you move out, quickly."  
  
Malfoy glared at Ron, and pushed past the three Gryffindors. Quietly, Ron put his wand away and looked at Harry and Hermione before moving down the steps, followed closely by the other two.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
Hermione awoke the next morning and luxuriously stretched in her soft bed. She had slept well, especially after she had gotten her hands back on the book from the Restricted Section. Harry and her had immediately headed back out, under the cover of the Invisibility Cloak, to retrieve the book when they got back last night. Hermione had had to fight the desire to sit up all night and read. She had won, though it was a bittersweet win.  
  
Glancing at her clock, she saw that she had a good hour before she had to meet Harry and Ron for breakfast. She reached for the book with a grin and immersed herself between the pages of the ill-gotten tome. She read for about a quarter of an hour, when a gasp escaped her. She reread the sentences to be sure.  
  
"I am eternally grateful to Wigby for the gift of my hydrophanous orb. I do not know how he got his hands on this extremely rare item, but without it, I never would have made it off the Island."  
  
She was right; the unknown author said he had a hydrophanous orb. Not only that, but it had been important in getting him off the Island. Hermione's brain spun with the information. Now, if she could only find out what a hydrophanous orb was for, she could hopefully piece together some helpful information on the Island of Malnese.  
  
She shut the book, shoved it between her mattresses, and quickly got herself dressed for breakfast. Grabbing her bag of schoolbooks, she quickly raced down the stairs and through the still empty Gryffindor common room to the Great Hall. She would have to make her apologies to Harry and Ron later. Only a few students were there, and Hermione shoved some food into her mouth, downed it with a glass of orange juice, and tore her way down the mostly empty hallways to the library.  
  
Glancing at the grandfather clock in the corner by the entrance to library, she noted that she had about fifteen minutes of actual time to hunt for information before she had to leave for her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She considered asking Madam Pince about the orb, but, seeing as the wizard had said that it was extremely rare, she decided against asking.  
  
She began by looking in a few books that contained information on wizarding objects. She skimmed through them, quickly ascertaining that the information she sought was not there. Discouraged, she looked at the clock above the library doors. She had to leave.  
  
Placing the non-helpful books back on their respective shelves, she dejectedly plodded out of the library and headed for her Dark Arts class. She figured that she'd probably have to ask Harry for the use of his cloak again. She knew he'd let her. She suddenly remembered that she was to be out of her dorm late every night now. It would be an easy matter to borrow Harry's cloak, finish her assignment, and then use the cloak to head to the library. She brightened a bit at that thought and, with a smile, entered the Dark Arts classroom. _____________________________________________________________  
  
-f0xyness39: You know what? Thank you very much. =)  
  
-CatalinaRose: I'm glad you like my appendix. The only icky thing about it is that every time I add a new chapter, I have to move my appendix so that it stays at the end of the story. I suppose I don't really have to do that, but, hey, that's me. Thank you for your info about Herbology. I have added it to my appendix. 


	13. The Necklace

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world.  
  
Summary (Chp. 1-11): A sailing class/field trip is planned. Slytherin/Gryffindor is teamed up. Draco/Hermione are paired up. The class is taught by Professor Sinistra/Dr. Branefeld. D/Hr research the Vintmoor/Island of Malnese. Hr borrows H cloak/map to go to restricted section, runs into D. When she heads back to Gryffindor, she changes her mind and goes to see D (in an empty classroom), they have a fight, she leaves, shatters her jaw on a false step. D takes her to Madam Pomfrey, fights an inner battle over his attitude towards her. Hr awakens on Monday night, remembers she left H cloak, D shows up and brings it to her. They hold hands, Madam Pomfrey tells D to leave. D makes a decision. Hagrid has his COM class start to work with Billywigs, and Fred and George give Hr a hydrophanous orb. Hr discovers that the hydrophanous orb (H. orb) is mentioned in the book from the Restricted Section. Her and D are asked to be the class navigators.  
  
_____________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 12: The Necklace  
  
The time was 11:00. After Potions, Draco and Hermione had planned to meet in the Astronomy Tower at 11:15. She slung the heavy bag of navigation instruments over her shoulder, and tucked her Astronomy book and thick cloak under her other arm.  
  
"Hermione, are you sure you don't want one of us to come with you?" Harry asked for the thousandth time. When she had told Harry and Ron what Madam Sinistra had said, they had both paled in anger. It was bad enough that she already had to spend time in sailing class with Malfoy, and one evening a week completing homework. They couldn't believe that she would have to spend a half hour alone with him every night on top of that.  
  
"Harry, look, it's not that big of a deal. We'll be too busy learning how to use the equipment to allow any time for him to harass me. Besides, I have my wand, and I know more hexes than Malfoy has probably even dreamed of." She gave her friend a winning smile.  
  
"You're right, you know. You always are," Harry grinned back at her. "Oh, hey, you wanted to borrow my Cloak again, right?"  
  
"Yeah, but not tonight. I'm tired. I just want to get the navigation stuff out of the way and go to sleep. I'll let you know when I need it."  
  
"What do you need it for? You never told me."  
  
"Remember the orb thing that I showed you and Ron earlier?"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Well, I want to see if I can find any information about it in the Restricted Section." She rehoisted the heavy bag on her shoulder. "Harry, look, I would love to tell you all about everything, but I don't want to be late tonight. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow, okay?"  
  
Harry gave her a grin, and walked over to a table where Ron was setting up a game of Wizard's Chess. Hermione turned to leave, first checking that the pass Madam Sinistra had given her was still in her robe pocket. She pushed open the portrait door and started down the hallway.  
  
It felt strange walking down the hallway after curfew without the Cloak as cover. The only time she had ever been allowed out of the common room past curfew was when the Gryffindor's had their Astronomy class. Her nerves were a bit jumpy as she sped through the empty hallways.  
  
"A student out of bed? Well, well, Mrs. Norris, it looks like a detention is in the works for tonight." Filch's gravely voice caused Hermione to come to a sudden stop. "And look, it's not only a student, but the ever perfect Ms. Granger. If you will come with me, will get the pleasantries started." He turned, expecting the recalcitrant student to follow.  
  
"Um, Mr. Filch, sir?" Hermione squeaked, her voice sounding small in the empty nighttime hallway. "I have a pass." She produced the pass from her robe.  
  
Filch snatched the pass suspiciously from her outstretched hand, and stared at the offensive slip of parchment. "So you do, so you do. Well, you just be certain that you never let me catch you without a pass after curfew. I have some wonderful detentions cooked up that I can't wait to try out." He roughly pressed the pass back into her hand, motioned to Mrs. Norris, and continued on his watch.  
  
Hermione took off at a run to make it to the Astronomy Tower in time. The last thing she needed was to be late. Draco would never let her live that down.  
  
She reached the door to the platform, gasping for breath. Pushing it open, she saw Malfoy already standing at the other end, his book out, and a nocturnal grasped in his hands.  
  
"Late, Granger?" he questioned, not turning from his calculations. "Not the best example to be setting."  
  
"Filch stopped me. Besides, I'm still on time. You must have been early." She stepped through the doorway and stalked across the stone floor.  
  
Draco, finished with his first set of measurements, put down the nocturnal and looked over at Hermione. She had put down her load and was shrugging herself into her cloak. The waning moon glowed on Hermione's face, softening her features. Draco felt a strange flutter in his stomach at the sight.  
  
"What are you staring at, Ferret Boy?" she snapped at him.  
  
"Nothing. Just waiting for you to get to work." Embarrassed, he quickly turned back to his book, ostensibly reviewing the next step in his readings with the nocturnal.  
  
The rest of the half-hour passed smoothly. They spoke only when necessary, and finished their calculations quickly. Hermione used a soft cloth to carefully clean her instruments and packed them back into their cases. She noticed, from the corner of her eye, that Draco skipped the cleaning part.  
  
"Malfoy, you're supposed to clean them each time."  
  
"Shut up, Mudblood. I'll do as I please."  
  
"You're instruments won't remain accurate if you refuse to clean them, Malfoy," she said, with a sigh of exasperation.  
  
"What, are you going to tell on me?" he gave her a glare.  
  
"No, I wouldn't do that. But, if you don't get into the habit of cleaning them now, it will be hard to get into that habit when we are taking measurements four times a day on the ship." She narrowed her eyes at him.  
  
"Whatever. I'm leaving." He snatched his packed bag up, and strode across the platform entering the doorway. With a sigh, Hermione picked up her heavy bag and her book, and headed back indoors.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
The rest of the week flew by. Hermione got wrapped up in the increased challenges of her studies. Dr. Branefeld taught wonderfully exciting Arithmancy courses. He challenged the class beyond what Hermione could have even hoped. He often commented on the work that Hermione was turning in, both to her embarrassment and her pride.  
  
She enjoyed learning how to use the various navigation instruments each evening, and found that she had a special aptitude with the sextant. Draco appeared to really enjoy using the nocturnal, and they fell into a comfortable rhythm with each other, laughter actually occurring at times. They seemed to enjoy being around each other, at least when the audience was comprised of the stars, sky, and moon. During the rest of the day, they regarded each other with glares and muttered curses.  
  
Tuesday, the 19th of September crept up. Hermione awoke on the morning of her 15th birthday ready for the challenges that lie ahead. A particularly difficult quiz had been scheduled that morning for Transfiguration, and she was looking forward to tackling the task. Springing lightly out of bed, she rushed off to the bathroom to get ready for the day.  
  
"Hey, Hermione!" Lavender's voice rang out. "There's an owl here to see you."  
  
Hermione, towel wrapped around her wet hair, exited the bathroom while drawing on her bathrobe. A large barn owl was sitting on her bed next to a small package. She went to her trunk and pulled out a couple of knuts which she wrapped in a piece of cloth and gave to the fowl. The bird gave a small hoot and flew back out the window it had come in from.  
  
"Oh, who is it from?" Parvati squealed as both she and Lavender leaped from their beds.  
  
"I don't know." Hermione picked up the small package, and looked at it. It was wrapped in gold paper with a beautiful silver bow. "I suppose I'll open it." She carefully opened the paper, and took the lid off the small box. Inside she found a necklace. She pulled out the delicate gold chain upon which was strung a clear glass globe in which sparkled a miniature star.  
  
Lavender and Parvati shrieked with excitement when they saw it.  
  
"Wow, that is so cool. My mom has one of those." Parvati reached out to take the necklace, looking closely at the dangling globe. "It's an actual star, Hermione. They are only made in Sweden. They're really expensive. Did a note come with it?"  
  
Hermione looked back into the small box. She pulled out a small piece of parchment. Opening it she saw written, in an unfamiliar hand, a simple message.  
  
Happy Birthday  
  
"Is it signed?" Lavender asked, reaching for the necklace, which Parvati was holding.  
  
"No, it's just has happy birthday written on it."  
  
"You have a secret admirer, Hermione!" Parvati screeched, grabbing Hermione's hands, and spinning her about the room. Hermione tried to extricate herself from Parvati's grip, but failed as Lavender joined them. For the next few minutes, she was spun about the room with the two overly excited girls. They finally calmed down and released a relieved Hermione.  
  
"So, who do you think it is?" Lavender aksed.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Well, the necklace is really expensive, so we know who it probably isn't," reasoned Parvati. "I mean, it couldn't be Ron, he's too poor. It wouldn't be Neville; he's too unromantic. It couldn't be Dean, he's dating that Ravenclaw girl." Hermione amusedly turned from Parvati as she continued her mental checklist, and began to dress for the day. She finished running her brush through her hair just as Parvati completed her list of all the Hogwarts boys it couldn't have been. She reached for the necklace and hooked it around her neck.  
  
"I've got to run, girls. I'm meeting Harry and Ron for a special birthday breakfast." She turned to leave, when Parvati's hand grasped hers.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Hermione, we are so sorry. Happy birthday!" she shrieked, Lavender joining her. "We have a present for you, too."  
  
Lavender dashed over to her trunk, threw it open, and retrieved a package wrapped in a beautiful blue paper. Hermione opened it to reveal the latest edition of ::Hogwarts, A History::. She gave the two girls a huge grin.  
  
"Thank you! I love it. I can't wait to read the new stuff in it." She gave them each a big hug, put the book on top of her bed, and left the room.  
  
Harry and Ron were waiting for her at the foot of the stairs.  
  
"Happy birthday, Hermione," Ron said, a grin lighting his face.  
  
"Happy birthday," Harry repeated.  
  
"Thanks guys. Let's go."  
  
The three friends walked across the common room and pushed open the portrait.  
  
"What's that around your neck, Hermione?" Ron questioned as they walked down the hall.  
  
"Oh, it's a birthday gift." Hermione, unsuccessfully, tried not to blush.  
  
"From who?"  
  
"I-I don't know," she stuttered.  
  
"What do you mean, you don't know?" Harry asked, a puzzled look crossing his face.  
  
"It came this morning, by owl. There was a note, but it was unsigned."  
  
"And you're wearing it? You don't know if it's cursed or something," Ron argued, trying to keep a grin from his face.  
  
"It's perfectly fine, Ron."  
  
"I don't know, Hermione. You wouldn't let me keep my Firebolt when I got it." Ron nodded his agreement with Harry's statement.  
  
"Oh, come off it!" Hermione growled. "That was a whole different set of circumstances. I mean, you were in danger that year. For goodness sake," huffed Hermione.  
  
As they reached the door to the Great Hall, Harry and Ron burst out laughing. "Sorry, Hermione! We're just picking on you." Harry managed, through his laughter. "Of course the necklace is perfectly fine. You've got to stop taking everything so seriously."  
  
Hermione scowled at them, which only caused them to laugh all the harder. Finally, Hermione realized how silly she was behaving, and her scowl melted into a smile, before morphing into laughter. The three laughing friends made their way to their table, oblivious to the glare of a blond headed Slytherin across the room.  
  
"Oh, look!" exclaimed Hermione, when they reached the table. "Belgium Waffles with fresh strawberries! My favorite!" She sat down, and reached for the platter.  
  
"I talked with Dobby and asked him if he could whip you up your favorite, you know, it being your birthday and all." Harry grinned at the happy expression on Hermione's face as he took his seat.  
  
"Thank you, Harry. You're the best," she mumbled, through a mouthful of waffles.  
  
Draco watched the happy trio continue their morning feast. He still couldn't figure out what had possessed him to send a gift to Hermione. He squinted, and could see that she was wearing the necklace. An unbidden sigh tore from him.  
  
"What's the matter, Draco?" Blaise questioned, slipping onto the bench opposite him.  
  
"Huh?" he replied, looking at her.  
  
"I said, what's the matter. It looks like your upset about something." Blaise grabbed a large blueberry muffin off the platter in front of her, and slathered it with butter.  
  
"Nothing. I'm just tired." The line rolled easily off his tongue. "So, are you ready for another fun-filled morning learning about Billywigs?" he questioned, pouring himself another glass of pumpkin juice.  
  
The two Slytherin's spent the rest of breakfast discussing the day's classes. Draco kept slipping glances past Blaise, however. He couldn't seem to stop checking on the progress of Hermione and her friends. When the morning warning bell rang. Draco stood, said bye to Blaise, and left for his Ancient Runes class, Hermione, annoyingly, still in his mind.  
  
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Well, there it is. I hope you all enjoyed it. If you did, or didn't, please review. I want to know what you liked, or hated.  
  
blueberry girl: In answer to your question, yes, there was a kissing scene, but I cut it. My characters got out of hand, okay, well I did. I'm trying to build more tension between the two before they kiss. So, hang on, because when it comes, you will be very pleased.  
  
Slytherin hot chick: Sorry about the (), that's how your name appeared in my emails, (which is where I go to respond), so I just figured that you did that for whatever reason. Anyway, I won't do it anymore. =)  
  
Rebecca: I did a bunch of weird things the other day, like moving my two appendices around a bunch and adding two new chapters, so it is understandable that you almost missed things. Thank you for you synopsis of my hand holding scene. As far as my summaries, I do wish more people would write them, because I am TOTALLY lost in some stories. WOW...I am in your top 10 list? I feel really special. **huggles Rebecca** Let me know what your other ones are. I love good D/Hr stories.  
  
CatalinaRose: That's okay with the page number thing. It didn't take me long to find it. =) The appendices aren't THAT bad, it's just something I have to remember to do each time. Breakfast fits in somewhere between 7 and 9. I figured that Hogwarts would allow the students to eat breakfast at their own time, as well as lunch (basically when the choose during their lunch break), however, dinner is something that, from the movie and the books, appears to be a set time. I thought it would be fun to deal with a class that we have only heard of in the books, I'm having fun with it too. I debated on having Hermione tell Harry and Ron everything, but decided that a lie would work better for the rest of the story's plot. Yeah, Draco and Hermione are navigators. I have just made my story a whole lot harder to write. I am furiously searching the internet to find good information on navigating in medieval times. The deal with the orb will be explained in future chapters. =) I think you will like it. (Of course, it would be helpful if I knew exactly what I was planning to do with it.) It is hilarious that you mentioned The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. Not only is that one of my all time favorites, it was the impetus for the appendix idea. There will be an appendix B, when I finish it. It is my ship manual one, so it is taking the longest time to write. (Look what happens when I don't have fanfic to waste time on? I spend forever writing my thank you's.)  
  
CrystallineLily: Well, here is the new chapter. Hope you liked it. Oh and I am glad you liked my songfic. I am hoping to turn it into a full fledged story, but not until I finish On Storm Tossed Seas.  
  
f0yness39: Thank you. Professor Sinistra is the Astronomy teacher at Hogwarts. In my story she also is teaching the fifth year Gryffindor/Slytherin sailing class.  
  
You guys are the best. Thank you to all who take time out of their lives to read my fanfic. I am really enjoying the whole process of writing it. I hope that I can continue to write good chapters and that I can get them out in a timely manner. Thank you guys. 


	14. Some Random Occurences

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world.  
  
Summary (Chp. 1-12): A sailing class/field trip is planned. Slytherin/Gryffindor is teamed up. Draco/Hermione are paired up. The class is taught by Professor Sinistra/Dr. Branefeld. D/Hr research the Vintmoor/Island of Malnese. Hr borrows H cloak/map to go to restricted section, runs into D. When she heads back to Gryffindor, she changes her mind and goes to see D (in an empty classroom), they have a fight, she leaves, shatters her jaw on a false step. D takes her to Madam Pomfrey, fights an inner battle over his attitude towards her. Hr awakens on Monday night, remembers she left H cloak, D shows up and brings it to her. They hold hands, Madam Pomfrey tells D to leave. D makes a decision. Hagrid has his COM class start to work with Billywigs, and Fred and George give Hr a hydrophanous orb. Hr discovers that the hydrophanous orb (H. orb) is mentioned in the book from the Restricted Section. Hr and D are asked to be the class navigators. They have their first night of homework. Hr receives a necklace for her birthday from an anonymous person.  
  
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Chapter 13: Some Random Occurrences  
  
Students stumbled out of the Transfiguration class. Their quiz had lasted a full thirty minutes of their forty-five minute class, and they were exhausted. As usual, Hermione had done a stunning job on her quiz, receiving a full 120%. Ron, however, had failed miserably, his attempt on the quiz having resulted in a purse with teeth.  
  
"I'm telling you, this class makes no sense. It's not like I'm ever going to need to turn a mink into a purse, for crying out loud."  
  
"Well, Ron, if you would actually study for Transfiguration instead of always playing games in the evening, you might do better," Hermione said, receiving a glare from Ron.  
  
"Hey, you guys, let's hurry to Hagrid's. Remember, he wanted to have a us over for Hermione's birthday before class started," Harry interrupted. The two arguing students gave nods of agreement and the three quickly moved through the entrance hall and out the doors to Hagrid's hut.  
  
" 'ermoine, 'appy birthday!" bellowed Hagrid as he opened the door to his hut. "Come in, come in! I 'ave made some fresh treacle fudge for the birthday girl." Oblivious to their hesitant smiles, he held out a plate of treacle fudge as the three sat down around the table. Politely, each took a piece and placed it on their plate.  
  
Hagrid then poured some tea into four cups and placed them around the table. "It's good ter see you. How's school treatin' yeh so far?"  
  
"School's going really well, Hagrid." Hermione took a sip of her tea.  
  
Hagrid looked over at Harry and Ron who both gave the same answer. For the next twenty minutes, the hut rang with mirth as stories about the summer break were shared. By the time class was ready to start, the four headed out of the hut, and Harry, Ron and Hermione moved towards the group of Gryffindors.  
  
"Granger, I need to talk to you," Draco said, walking towards her, his *myrmidons flanking him.  
  
"What about, Malfoy?" Hermione sighed.  
  
"We haven't figured out a time to do our sailing homework, yet." He paused, his eyes glancing at the necklace. He wondered if she'd be wearing it if she knew he'd given it to her.  
  
Hermione watched his eyes. "What are you looking at, Malfoy?"  
  
"Just admiring your necklace," he said, carefully lacing his voice with sarcasm. "Did poor Weasley sell his body to get it for you?" Crabbe and Goyle chuckled stupidly at this comment. Ron's face went brilliant red and Harry grabbed a handful of his robe to keep him from springing forward.  
  
"Malfoy, you can be such a jerk." Hermione said this without a trace of emotion. "It was a gift from someone, and it's none of your business. Now, did you want to make plans for completing our homework, or do you want to continue to harass us? Because, I warn you, I am not afraid to hex you." She said this while pulling her wand out, and pointing it directly at Draco's face.  
  
With a smirk, he pushed the wand away. "Meet me in the library at 11:45. That will give you enough time to eat lunch, won't it?" He turned, not waiting for a reply, and imperiously strode back to the group of Slytherins, Crabbe and Goyle faithfully following in his wake.  
  
"Why, that good for nothing, ferret faced, slimy, pathetic--," Ron paused when he saw Hermione glare over at him.  
  
"Ron, he's not even worth get worked up over. Just let it go."  
  
She turned around, just as Hagrid stepped up to the head of one of the tables. They spent the rest of the class feeding the Billywigs, which they had discovered were fond of lemon grass, and talking quietly amongst themselves.  
  
When they returned to the Great Hall for lunch, Hermione ate quickly, and left to head up to her dorm to get her book for her sailing homework. She arrived at the doors of the library at the same time as Draco.  
  
"By all means, Granger, ladies first," he smirked, pulling open the large wooden door for her, while giving her a mock bow. She narrowed her eyes at him and flounced through the open door.  
  
"Let's make this quick and painless, Malfoy." She continued to glare at him as they sat at a table near the back of the library.  
  
Without a word, Malfoy threw his book on the table, pulled out a clean sheet of parchment, unstoppered his inkbottle, and dipped his quill in.  
  
"I'm ready. So, what's first?"  
  
With a final glare, she looked down at her own book. The two finished their labeled diagram of the inner hull of a ship in record time. After cleaning up the table, they sat in uncomfortable silence.  
  
"Uh, Granger?" Hermione looked over at him. "I guess, uh, happy birthday." He stood, pushing his chair back, and turned to leave.  
  
"Wait," Hermione said. He glanced back at her. She didn't know what to say, but she didn't want him to leave, for some unknown reason. "Um, you know, I was wondering if you could help me with my nocturnal this evening. I just can't seem to get it."  
  
He turned around to face her. "So, the perfect Gryffindor isn't so perfect after all?" Draco drawled, instantly sorry when he saw the scowl on her face. "Sure, I suppose I could help you," he quickly added. Her face softened a bit, and her hand strayed to her necklace. She fingered it absentmindedly for a bit.  
  
"Really, that's a nice necklace," he said. "Whom did you get it from?"  
  
"I thought you already knew," she spat out at him.  
  
"Look, Granger, it was a joke. Gees, can't you take a joke?"  
  
"It was mean," she stated, a glare forming on her face.  
  
"Fine," he said, taking his seat again, "it was mean, but could, quite possibly, be true." Her glare deepened. "Okay, look, it was a joke. All right, let's get past that. Whom did you get it from?" He didn't know why, but it was important for him to know what she thought.  
  
"I-I don't know. An owl appeared in my room this morning with a package. This necklace was in it," she held the necklace out a bit, "and a note."  
  
"Any guesses?"  
  
"Why are you so interested? Afraid that I may have a secret admirer? Afraid that I may not be swayed by your charms?"  
  
"You saying I have charm, Granger?"  
  
"Shut up, Malfoy, you know what I mean. Why are you so damn interested in my necklace?"  
  
"Just friendly curiosity" he said, sarcastically. "But, we need to go, unless you want to lose points for Gryffindor by being late to Potions." He smirked at the panicky look that crossed her face. She quickly pushed her chair back, slung her bag over her shoulder, and bolted for the library door, an amused Slytherin following after her.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
Potions slipped by quickly, with the exception of Snape taking twenty points from Gryffindor when Ron spouted off at Draco. The Gryffindors then headed in the opposite direction of the Slytherins to sit through another long History of Magic. After Charms, Hermione talked Ron and Harry into going to the library to work on their homework before dinner. Reluctantly, Ron followed. He complained most of the way about needing to work on a new offensive position he was working on for Wizard's Chess.  
  
"That's the problem, Ron. You spend too much time on your hobbies. No wonder you are doing so horribly in half your classes. If you don't focus, you'll fail, and then you know you'll get a Howler from your mom." Hermione gave him a look.  
  
"Yeah, I know. Okay, I promise. I'll study harder, okay?"  
  
Hermione gave him a grin, satisfied. They entered into the library, and spent the next hour working on their homework.  
  
"Well, Harry and I need to go, um, do some stuff." He gave Harry a meaningful look. "We'll see you at dinner?" He waited, preparing himself for an onslaught from Hermione. Being involved in her Dark Arts homework, however, she simply nodded, and continued her work. "Let's go, Harry."  
  
The two boys, bags slung over their shoulders, left quickly, excitedly discussing something between the two of them. Hermione paused to watch them go, a smile caressing her face. She was truly lucky to have two such wonderful friends.  
  
She turned back to her work, carefully rereading a passage on vampires, when she felt someone watching her. She looked up and saw two gray eyes staring down at her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing. Do you have time for me to give you some help with the nocturnal?"  
  
"Malfoy, we can go over that tonight, when we are doing are navigation work." She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, I know, I just figured that I would go over the book stuff before we went up. Oh, and maybe we should meet a little earlier, so that we can still get all the other measurements done." He looked at her with that expression that she couldn't quite read. "Unless, you really don't need help with the nocturnal."  
  
"No, you're right. Sure, let's look over the stuff in the book. When do you want to meet?"  
  
"Eleven o'clock?"  
  
"Fine. Let's get to work." She closed her Dark Arts book and pulled out her sailing book. She opened to appendix C, and Draco began to explain to her the finer details of the nocturnal. He noticed that she was playing with her necklace again, and fought to keep the smile from tugging at his lips.  
  
"Okay, so sidereal time is four minutes less than solar time. Got it. And when I turn the dial to Ursa Minor, the time is automatically corrected. That it so easy. I don't know why I'm struggling so much with this." A frown creased her forehead. Draco looked askance at her, and felt that increasingly familiar tug in his heart.  
  
"Yeah, so, I'll see you at 11:00? Then I'll give you the hands on instruction, okay?" He waited for her nod; she was still absorbed in the book. He sat back and studied her quietly. She was deeply involved in the book, and she chewed on her lower lip while twirling a bit of hair around her finger. Her cheeks were slightly flushed giving her a rosy glow. He felt his heart thump a little quicker in his chest. Breaking his reverie, he repeated his question. "Uh, Granger? I'll see you at 11:00?"  
  
Without breaking her eye contact with her book, she gave Draco a nod. He stood, gathering up his books, and shoving them in his bag. With a last glance at Hermione, he turned, and left.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
"Come on, Hermione, let's go." Ron insisted.  
  
They had rushed her through dinner that evening. She noticed, too, that many of the other Gryffindors ate quickly, or were mysteriously absent. She didn't dwell on it much, though.  
  
"Ron, I'm moving as fast as I can. Geez, do you want me to run?"  
  
"No, just, come on." He grinned over at Harry, who was carrying Hermione's bag.  
  
They reached the Fat Lady.  
  
"Pegasus," Harry said, maneuvering himself around the edge of the frame as it opened. He moved into the common room, Hermione and Ron following him.  
  
"Happy birthday, Hermione!" yelled everyone in the crowded room.  
  
She paused, her eyes going wide. A sea of ribbons was hanging from the ceiling in the common room. When she looked closer, she saw that the ribbons were attached to red and gold balloons, which covered every inch of the high ceiling. Ron and Harry were grinning from ear to ear. On a large table sat a huge chocolate frosted cake with 'Happy Birthday, Hermione' written in a pink script.  
  
"Oh my gosh, you guys!" She threw her arms around Harry and Ron simultaneously. "You're the best friends ever."  
  
"Hey, Hermione!" Fred called. "What about us?"  
  
"Fred, George, thanks. Everyone, thank you, this is the best birthday I have ever had." She grinned so hard, she felt like her face would split.  
  
Harry and Fred had snuck off to the kitchens to get some food, while Ron and George used the secret passage to get into Hogwarts. They had brought back a supply of butterbeer and a ton of sweets from Honeydukes. The Weasley twins newly mastered glitter balls were floating about the room, exploding with showers of red and gold confetti, in special honor of Hermione.  
  
She had received some wonderful gifts from her closer friends. Among her favorites was a book on the history of Wizarding England from Harry, and a beautiful set of writing quills from the Weasley brothers.  
  
The party wound down around ten o'clock. Hermione was playing a game of Exploding Snap with Harry, Ron, Fred, and George, and doing badly at it. The boys refused to allow her to win, even if it was her birthday. Absentmindedly, she continually played with her necklace.  
  
"Hey, who gave you that?" Fred asked, pointing at the necklace.  
  
"I don't know," she answered, letting go of the necklace.  
  
"So, you have a secret admirer?" George gently teased.  
  
"I guess. It's a little weird to think that someone likes me, and I don't know whom."  
  
"Well, we'll keep an eye out for you, Herm. And we are always ready to lend a helping wand for any and all hexes." George pulled out his wand and did a little 'swish and flick' motion.  
  
"Oh my gosh!" Hermione interjected, looking at the clock, which read 10:45. "I have to go! I have to go do my Astronomy homework."  
  
"Don't you guys do your homework at 11:15?" Harry furrowed his brow.  
  
"Well, we're meeting early tonight." She tried to keep an uncomfortable blush from her cheeks.  
  
"Why? Who would want to spend more time with Ferret Boy than necessary?" Ron made a face.  
  
"Well, we, uh, we are trying to figure out how to use an instrument, and we need the extra time." She stood quickly, knocking some cards to the floor. Without another word, she bolted to her room to get her bag. Moments later, she raced through the common room, and out through the portrait, completely oblivious to the stares of the four boys at the table.  
  
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*myrmidons - loyal and subordinate followers.  
  
Okay, I'm not entirely happy with this chapter's title. If you have a better title, please let me know. I hope you liked this chapter.  
  
-Sage of Darkness: Thank you! Did you have fun in Australia? I am very jealous! I want to go to Australia! I have wanted to go there for at LEAST fifteen years. The toughest part of putting together the schedule for Hermione was trying to figure out what the basic schedule is at Hogwarts (thanks to the Harry Potter Lexicon).  
  
-Akuma Kanada no Tenchi: Hey, what does your handle mean? Just curious. Congratulations on getting an account. It took me about three months before I bit. I'm glad you like my appendices. =)  
  
-Sila-chan: Wait patiently. The hydrophanous orb will be explained in time. Oh, and the necklace may SEEM random, but that's only because you don't know what is going on in Draco's head, but I do. =P  
  
-f0xyness39: I'm glad you see now. It must have been tough reading without being able to see. **sniggers** Okay, seriously, let me move on. I'm a little tired.  
  
-Rebecca: You're welcome! I can't wait to see how I deal with the new events, either.  
  
-Misty: **blushes** Thank you! I hope that I can keep my story interesting. I am very interested in your idea. I can always use help. Oh, and I'm glad you liked my songfic. =)  
  
-MidnightSun: Sunna, thank you! You are awesome! I am so glad you mentioned the Draco stalking down the hall thing. I spent a good half-hour struggling with that particular paragraph. (I'm a little bit of an obsessive perfectionist.) I must admit, it is VERY difficult to develop the relationship between Draco and Hermione. That's probably why I'm taking it so slow. Thank you for all your praise. It really makes me feel like all my work on this story is really worth it. Hope you liked this chapter.  
  
-tom felton's babe: Be patient. I am slowly working up to the "fluff", but it will be a very slow work up. Afterall, Draco is, my nature, not a caring individual. He can become so, but it takes time and careful change in his character in order to keep the whole thing realistic. Keep checking back. I promise, it will come.  
  
-Snow White: I love the research part. I learn so much about when I do. I am enjoying the process of learning about how ship's were navigated in history. Also, the majority of my research for the Harry Potter stuff is from The Harry Potter Lexicon online. I have found it to be a valuable resource. I highly recommend that anyone who writes HP fanfic uses it often. And, trust me, the romance will be coming. But it must build. If I am to do this realistically, I must take it one step at a time. 


	15. Under the Stars

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world.  
  
Summary (Chp. 1-13): A sailing class/field trip is planned. Slytherin/Gryffindor is teamed up. Draco/Hermione are paired up. The class is taught by Professor Sinistra/Dr. Branefeld. D/Hr research the Vintmoor/Island of Malnese. Hr borrows H cloak/map to go to restricted section, runs into D. When she heads back to Gryffindor, she changes her mind and goes to see D (in an empty classroom), they have a fight, she leaves, shatters her jaw on a false step. D takes her to Madam Pomfrey, fights an inner battle over his attitude towards her. Hr awakens on Monday night, remembers she left H cloak, D shows up and brings it to her. They hold hands, Madam Pomfrey tells D to leave. D makes a decision. Hagrid has his COM class start to work with Billywigs, and Fred and George give Hr a hydrophanous orb. Hr discovers that the hydrophanous orb (H. orb) is mentioned in the book from the Restricted Section. Hr and D are asked to be the class navigators. They have their first night of homework. Hr receives a necklace for her birthday from an anonymous person. D seems overly interested in necklace; they plan to meet early that night so that Hr can receive help with the nocturnal. Hr's friends celebrate her birthday.  
  
(My summary is getting long!) _____________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 14: Under the Stars  
  
Hermione had just reached the tower when she realized that she'd left her cloak behind. With a sigh, she debated if she had enough time to run back down to grab it. She left her bag by the door, and began to run down the spiral staircase.  
  
~**~  
  
Deep in thought, Draco turned down the hallway. He had to pull himself together. He had made his decision. When a Malfoy made a decision, he stuck with it. He couldn't figure out why he'd bought that damn necklace. Somehow, he'd just have to get it back. He reached the foot of the stairwell, and started on his way up.  
  
~**~  
  
Whipping quickly around the last revolution of the stairwell, Hermione ran hard into a solid object.  
  
She braced herself for the fall.  
  
~**~  
  
He looked up just as Hermione came around the wall, she ran into him. Without thinking he grabbed her.  
  
A sound of surprise escaped her lips. Bolts of electricity entered her body where his arms pressed against her.  
  
Their eyes met. Silver melted; amber became liquid. For a flicker of heartbeats, time froze.  
  
The next instant, a sneer plastered itself on Draco's face. He opened his arms, letting Hermione's fall continue.  
  
"Next time, Mudblood, watch where you're running." He glowered at her. "Where are you going, anyway? Afraid I wasn't coming?"  
  
Hermione picked herself up of the ground, brushing her robes in an attempt to straighten them back out. She returned his glower. "I forgot my cloak. I was going to run back and get it."  
  
"Do that, and we won't have time to work with the nocturnal," he spat. She answered with a heartfelt glare. A feeling of disappointment washed over him as he watched her turn to go.  
  
"Granger, hold on."  
  
She paused.  
  
"You can," he hesitated, "you can borrow my cloak."  
  
In disbelief, she turned to look at him. "Why?"  
  
'Good question,' he thought, but answered, snidely, "Because, if we don't do this tonight, then you can forget my help with it." He pulled off his cloak, and held it out to her.  
  
Hesitatingly, she reached for it, stopping halfway. "What about you? Won't you be cold?"  
  
"Malfoy's don't get cold," he smirked.  
  
"Oh, forgive me. I forgot that you have ice running through yours veins."  
  
"Look, Granger," he held the cloak out a little farther, "do you want to use my cloak, or do you want to freeze? Choose, now," he demanded.  
  
Without further argument, she reached for the cloak. She pushed her arms through the long wool sleeves, and pulled the front closed. She glanced down and noticed the Slytherin crest emblazoned on the left breast.  
  
"You look good in my cloak, Granger," he murmured.  
  
Hermione's eyes shot upward. They were met by Draco's back as he continued his interrupted climb up the stairs. She swallowed. Hard. She could have sworn she had heard his voice quaver when he said that. Shrugging, she lifted up the cloak, it was a good five inches too long, and trailed behind him.  
  
They moved across the stone flooring towards the section of wall where they worked on their calculations. They busied themselves getting out their books and instruments. Hermione unclasped the case containing her nocturnal, and turned to Draco.  
  
"Okay. I don't know why, but I just can't seem to get the hang of how this works. I understand that I need to line up the arm with either Ursa Minor or Ursa Major. I also get that I need to be able to sight Polaris through the center, and I know that I need to set the dial to the correct date. But, other than that, I'm a bit lost."  
  
He felt a gentle smile tug at his lips as she blushed at this last statement, but managed to keep his face straight.  
  
"What about the dial for Ursa Minor or Ursa Major?"  
  
She blinked blankly at him.  
  
"That's your problem, then. You have to remember to turn the inner dial to point to Ursa Minor or to Ursa Major first, depending on whether you want to read solar time or sidereal time."  
  
A light appeared in her eyes. "That's what my problem was! I kept trying to read both the sidereal and solar times on the same dial." Giddy with excitement, she turned to face the sky, lifted the nocturnal, and began to fiddle with the mechanics.  
  
Draco, struggling to ignore the cold air, felt his heart begin to beat faster as he watched her. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so carefree. Always, he was calculated. Okay, so maybe lately, around her, he'd been behaving strangely.  
  
With a silent sigh, he gave into his inner voice, again. He stepped quietly behind Hermione, and reached his arms around her, grasping her hands, and the nocturnal. He felt her stiffen.  
  
"Here, like this," he murmured, close to her ear. 'Damn, her hair smells nice.' He felt her shiver, or maybe it was he. Draco helped her sight Polaris through the center hole, and aided her in moving the arm until it was lined up properly with Ursa Minor. "Now, what is the solar time?" This time he was positive, she shivered, slightly. His knees began to feel weak.  
  
"11:10." Her voice was breathy. She had a hard time focusing with his strong arms around her, and his warm breath caressing her cool cheek.  
  
"Now, turn the dial to Ursa Major." His voice was getting husky; his heart was thumping in his ears. "Now, resight Pola-" his voice died out.  
  
With his left hand, he pulled Hermione around to face him. The nocturnal clattered to the stone floor beneath them, ignored. Her cheeks were flushed; her cinnamon eyes were luminous. The fingers of his right hand reached up and gently traced along her temple, down her cheek, and back into her unruly brown hair.  
  
They gazed into each other's eyes, neither wanting to interrupt the moment by speaking. Unconsciously, Hermione wet her lips with her tongue. Lightening shot through Draco. He tore his gaze from her eyes, glancing down at her now glistening lips, before staring into her eyes again. 'I want to kiss her,' the thought shot through his brain.  
  
With a deep, ragged moan, he broke his eye contact with her a second time, and enveloped her in his arms, crushing her against his chest. He could feel her body shaking.  
  
Hermione couldn't believe what had just happened. It felt good, though, being wrapped in Draco's arms. Her heart was racing. She took a deep breath. He smelled so good. Her arms, finally, wrapped themselves around Draco's body.  
  
He was sure she could both feel and hear how fast his heart was beating. It felt like it would tear from his chest.  
  
Resting her head against his chest, she could hear his heart. Its furious tempo matched hers. Slowly, she stopped shaking; so, he was nervous, too. She allowed a small smile to grace her face.  
  
"Gran-Hermione?" he whispered.  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
He loosened his arms, and pulled back from her a bit. His right hand reached up and cupped her cheek. His eyes bore into hers; she felt as if he was penetrating her soul. His thumb slowly rubbed against her soft cheek. He glanced down to her necklace. Now he was glad he'd given it to her. He'd made the right choice, at least about that.  
  
"Hermione," he said again, to feel the sound of her name on his lips. His hand left her cheek, and reached down to pick up the necklace around her neck. "There should have been more to that note."  
  
"Huh? What note?" Her brows knit together in confusion.  
  
Taking a deep breath, he allowed that new voice to take over. "I meant to write more." She opened her mouth to speak; he placed a finger gently across her lips. "Shhh-let me speak." He closed his eyes, briefly. "I meant to say-"  
  
A loud bang interrupted him. Hermione and Draco whipped their heads towards the sound. A red-faced Ron and a pale-faced Harry, wands gripped tightly in their hands, stood in the open doorway. They stared slack-jawed at the sight before them.  
  
_____________________________________________________________  
  
Now, REVIEW! Mwhahahahahahaha!!!  
  
-CatalinaRose: I forgive you. I'm glad you liked the necklace. I wasn't sure about the whole thing, but it was needed. Hope you liked this chapter.  
  
- Akuma Kanada no Tenchi: Hope you liked his further melting in this chapter. =)  
  
- Fiery-chan: I behoove you to review this chapter. **tee hee** It's okay that you haven't reviewed in a while. Life can be busy. Yes, I believe you have told me that you are enjoying my story, and I am very happy about that. To be really honest, I am not quite sure what the orb does, though your hypothesis is very intriguing. I hope that I can keep my "air of mystery" as I continue.  
  
- SophieBabe: Thank you so much for your kind review. I'm glad you are enjoying my story so much. I hope that my future chapters will only become better. I'm looking forward to YOUR next chapter, too. =)  
  
- Sage of Darkness: You have no idea how hard I worked on that party. I didn't want to add muggle aspects to it, so it made the writing difficult. Thank you for commenting on it. Oh, and I may possibly need your assistance in the future. I have an original story I wrote like 7 years ago that involves a guy from Australia. Maybe, when I begin to rework it, I could send you some of it for some authenticity? Okay, going now. =) 


	16. The Curse

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world.  
  
Summary (Chps. 1-14) A two-week sailing trip has been planned in April. To prepare, the students are taking a sailing class taught by Dr. Branefeld and a regular Hogwarts teacher. Fifth year Slytherins and Gryffindors are paired, with Professor Sinistra as their instructor. Draco and Hermione are to be partners and navigators for their class. They each begin to experience feelings for each other, but fight it.  
  
Chapter 15: The Curse  
  
Harry and Ron had finished playing Exploding Snap with Fred and George. They were in the midst of playing a game of Wizard's Blitz Chess* before they had to leave for Astronomy class.  
  
"Queen to B7," Ron shouted. The piece slid across the board, decimating Harry's pawn.  
  
"Knight to E3," Harry yelled, grinning at Ron as his Bishop was pulverized.  
  
"Castle, C3," bellowed Ron.  
  
"Castle, C3."  
  
Ron glared as he watched Harry's Castle pound his own.  
  
Still glaring, Ron yelled, "Knight to C3." He watched in glee as his Knight bore down on Harry's Castle.  
  
Harry glanced at the **chess clock; he had five seconds left to finish the game. With a smirk, he announced, "Queen to C2! Checkmate!"  
  
Ron glared; Harry continued to smirk.  
  
Slowly, Ron extended a hand; even slower, Harry extended his. Their eyes narrowed. Suddenly, both boys broke into huge grins.  
  
"Good game, Harry!" Ron congratulated, giving Harry's outstretched hand a firm shake.  
  
"Couldn't have done it without all those lessons," he replied, returning Ron's grip.  
  
"So, shall we play another? It's only 11:07. We could easily play 3 more games before class." Ron started to set up the regenerated pieces.  
  
"Sure." Harry reached over to reset the clocks.  
  
"Hey, guys." The boys turned their heads to see Lavender standing at the foot of the stairs.  
  
"Yeah, what?" Harry queried, reaching for a few pawns.  
  
"Where'd Hermione go?"  
  
"She had to complete her navigation homework with Ferret Boy," Ron informed her.  
  
Lavender rolled her eyes at Ron's juvenile name calling. It was common knowledge that she found Draco stunningly handsome.  
  
"Why do you need to know?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, I noticed that her bag was gone, but she left her cloak behind. She'll probably need it, don't you think?"  
  
"Yeah, she will. Ron, let's take it up to her. She might appreciate an excuse to not have to be alone with Fer-Malfoy," he corrected, with a glance at Lavender. "Do you have her cloak?"  
  
Lavender produced it from behind her back, walked to the table, and handed it to Harry. She thanked him, and headed back up to her dorm.  
  
"Well, let's go." They raced up to their room, grabbed their bags, and cloaks and left for the Astronomy Tower.  
  
"So," Ron began, fingering his wand, "what hex shall we put on Ferret Boy when we reach the tower?"  
  
"None."  
  
"Oh, come on! It's the perfect spot. Filch never comes up there, and Hermione won't care. She'd probably be grateful."  
  
"Ron, Hermione will let us know if she needs assistance. She's a smart witch."  
  
"Well, it would still be fun to hex him," Ron pouted.  
  
The two boys continued down the hallway for a few minutes before reaching the foot of the stairwell. They wound their way up to the top of the tower. When they reached the door, Ron turned the handle and pushed it open. He stepped through and froze. A moment later, Harry stepped beside Ron, and followed suit.  
  
Across the expanse of the stone floor, they saw Hermione, arms wrapped around Draco. He had one arm around her, and was cupping her cheek with the other hand. They watched in stunned silence as Draco's hand slipped off her cheek and picked up her necklace. He muttered something to her, and she answered. Frozen, they watched as Draco opened his mouth to speak again, putting a finger across Hermione's lips.  
  
By this point, they both had their wands out. Ron, who was still holding the door, released it behind him, letting it slam against the stonewall. The reverberation echoed around the nearly empty platform. Hermione and Draco whipped their heads towards the sound.  
  
"Let go of her, Malfoy," Harry hissed, his face white with anger. He stepped forward, Ron, red-faced, keeping pace with him. "I don't know what spell you cast over her, but let her go, now." His low-pitched voice took on a dangerous note, and sparks began to sputter from the end of his wand.  
  
Hermione, still in Draco's arms, went white. Forcefully, she pushed herself away from Draco, who tried in vain to keep a hold of her. In confusion, she looked from Harry's vivid emerald eyes to Draco's silver ones. Slowly, she backed away, until she was pressed against the low parapet behind her. Draco's eyes never left her. He almost seemed to have forgotten that Harry and Ron were standing there.  
  
"Ron, go get Hermione," Harry instructed in a low voice. Ron strode over to her. "Malfoy, stopping staring at her, and answer me. What the hell did you do to her?"  
  
Suddenly aware of his surroundings, he snapped his attention to Harry, who was dangerously close. Reacting with the instinct of one raised in a Death Eater's home, Draco stepped back, flicking his wand up simultaneously.  
  
"So, are we to duel then, Potter?" he sneered.  
  
Without pausing to answer Harry muttered, "Inligo restis." Ropes shot from the end of his wand flying across the short distance between Draco and him. The ropes quickly snaked their way around Draco, who managed to free his wand arm before being completely bound.  
  
He tapped the rope and muttered, "Cassium." The ropes changed into a spider web-like material, which he quickly broke through. He flicked his wand at Harry, and incanted, "Abundonis!"  
  
Fur sprouted on Harry's face, quickly spreading down his neck and arms.  
  
"Parsinus abunda!" Ron shouted, from behind Draco. Leeks began to sprout from Draco's ears.  
  
He spun, pointed his wand at Ron, and screamed, "Crucio!"  
  
Ron, screaming, fell to the ground, writhing in pain.  
  
In stunned disbelief, Draco dropped his wand.  
  
Hermione ran to Ron's side, eyes wide with shock.  
  
Harry stared at his downed friend before joining him at Hermione's side.  
  
The sound of silence was punctuated by the whimpers coming from a shaking, recovering Ron.  
  
"I-I didn't-I didn't mean-" Draco backed away from the fallen Ron, eyes filled with terror at what he'd just done.  
  
Hermione, eyes blazing, imperiously stood. She stepped around Ron, who was being lifted into a sitting position by Harry, and advanced on Draco.  
  
"Malfoy, that was uncalled for." She reached up and ripped the necklace from her throat. "You were trying to tell me that this was from you, correct?" She waited for a mute Draco to give a miserable nod of his head. "Well, I don't want it. I want nothing to do with you. We will meet here every night to complete our navigation homework; we will meet Monday nights after dinner to complete our homework for our sailing class. Other than that, I don't want to see you or speak to you outside of class. Is that understood?" Without waiting for a reply, she shoved the necklace into Draco's hand, removed his cloak, unceremoniously dropping it to the ground, lifted her head, and turned.  
  
Harry had one of Ron's arms around his shoulders; Hermione lifted Ron's other arm. The three left a miserably mute Draco standing alone on the platform.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
"Ron, are you okay?" Hermione asked, worry filling her brown eyes.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine," he mumbled.  
  
Hermione shared a worried glance with Harry over Ron's hanging head. They picked up their pace a bit.  
  
"Madam Pomfrey," Hermione called, as the three stumbled through the double doors of the Infirmary.  
  
"Oh my, what happened?" Madam Pomfrey questioned, taking in the sight of a furry Harry and a pale Ron.  
  
"Malfoy cu-" Harry was interrupted by Hermione.  
  
"We had some wand problems," she shot a glance at Harry, who gave her a questioning look.  
  
"Well, no matter, let's get you two boys in bed and fixed up."  
  
Madam Pomfrey bustled about tucking Ron and Harry into a couple of clean cots. She rushed away to her storage area and retrieved some bottles. After having both Harry and Ron down some particularly nasty potions, she gave Hermione permission to stay for a few moments.  
  
"Hermione, why did you stop me from telling Madam Pomfrey about what Draco did?" Harry, decidedly less furry after taking a potion, sat up in his bed.  
  
"He didn't mean to do it," she glanced across Harry's bed to the adjacent one, where the sleeping form of Ron was. "Didn't you see his reaction when he realized what he'd done?"  
  
"That's entirely besides the point. You have no idea the pain involved in that curse, Hermione." His voice lowered to a whisper. "I do. I know how it feels." His voice came back strong. "We have to tell on him. If he knows how to do that curse, it's likely he knows the other two. I mean, his father's a Death Eater, who's to say-"  
  
"Can we deal with all of this tomorrow?" she interrupted. "Look, get some rest. I'm going to go back up to the Tower and grab our bags. I'll talk to you tomorrow."  
  
Hermione helped Harry get tucked back into the bed, gave him a peck on the forehead, glanced at Ron, and left to head back to the Tower.  
  
Now that the shock of what had occurred to Ron was diminishing, she was able to allow other thoughts entrance. Draco had given her the necklace. Her hand reached for her neck to finger her necklace. She fumbled for it a moment before recalling that she'd given it back to him. Why had he given her the necklace? There had to be a reason. And, being Draco, she refused to believe it was a good reason.  
  
He'd been about to tell her something, something about the note. She wished Harry and Ron hadn't interrupted. Yet, she was glad they had. The emotions she had been experiencing before they burst onto the platform had been confusing. After all, this was Malfoy for whom these emotions were being felt. She had held hate for him for so long, that to feel anything else was uncomfortable.  
  
Had she really enjoyed being held by him? If the speed of her heart was any indication, she did. But how could she? This was the jerk who'd tormented her and her friends relentlessly for four years; the son of the Death Eater; the Mudblood hater. And now he had cursed one of her best friends. As she thought about it, her anger built.  
  
She finally reached the top of the flight of stairs to the Tower. Her classmates would be arriving for class in fifteen minutes. She certainly wasn't in the mood for class tonight. Maybe she'd go to the library. She reached the door of the Tower and put her hand on the handle.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
Draco watched as the three Gryffindors left for the Infirmary. The door shut, and he was alone. He slumped to the ground in a heap. He wanted to cry, but the Malfoy in him refused to let him. The Malfoy in him was proud of what he'd done. But the look in her eyes -- it would haunt him forever.  
  
He'd been so close to giving completely into that voice. It had felt good. Never had he felt emotions so clearly as he did that night. Vehemently, he choked back another sob. He was not going to cry. He couldn't allow it. Tears were for weaklings. Yet, he'd already allowed tears to escape his control just last week. He could easily give in tonight.  
  
Slowly, he pushed himself up from the ground grabbing his cloak and pulling it on in a fluid motion. He moved across the paving stones and picked up his wand. Pointing the wand at himself, he muttered a counter- curse, and the leeks vanished from his ears.  
  
He moved to the parapet and gazed across the night sky lost in thought. Should he just give in completely to his inner voice? He knew what the voice wanted. It wanted him to fall in love with the Mudblood, with Hermione. He knew that. But the Malfoy in him fought with every bit of evil strength it could muster.  
  
He could list a variety of reasons why falling in love with Hermione would be bad. His father would kill him; his 'friends' would abandon him; he would lose his social status at school; he'd have to make nice to Potter; the list could go on. On the other hand, he couldn't come up with a list of reasons to let himself fall in love with her. The choice was so plainly obvious, yet this ridiculous voice wouldn't let him make it. The stupid voice kept causing him to do things.  
  
It was the voice that made him take Hermione to the Infirmary last Sunday. It was the voice that made him return the cloak. Holding her hand had also been the voice's idea. The necklace? He didn't even want to think about it. He opened his hand, and looked at the brilliantly twinkling globe. The voice had insisted that this was a good thing to give to her. The voice had also insisted that he take her into his arms tonight; it had insisted that he confess his thoughts and feelings.  
  
But the voice had eventually abandoned him when Harry and Ron had shown up. The Malfoy, the Malfoy who was being primed to become a Death Eater, had come back in full force. He couldn't explain why he'd uttered the Cruciatus Curse in any other way. That summer his father had made Draco practice that curse, and many others, on many muggles until it had become second nature.  
  
With a heavy sigh, he closed his fist over the necklace and shoved it deep into his cloak pocket. As he walked over to get his cloak, he stepped on something. Looking down, he saw Hermione's nocturnal. A flood of emotions washed over him as he reached down to pick it up. He remembered the way her small frame fit so well next to his larger one. Warmth filled him when he remembered touching her face; and how good it felt when she finally wrapped her arms around him.  
  
He stayed lost in those emotions until he remembered the curse. His mood plummeted. Uttering that simple word had changed everything. He knew that she'd never speak to him again, except for the forced contact that they would be required to make during this year.  
  
He took her nocturnal over to her bag, and placed it back into its case. For a moment he debated on taking Hermione's bag to her, but realized he would be unable to do so. He turned and went back to his bag, anger now boiling inside him. He grabbed his bag and swung it over his shoulder. Enjoying the feeling of anger, he stalked across the empty platform. In fifteen minutes, students would begin arriving. He was in no mood for class. He'd find someplace else to go, maybe the empty classroom. He reached for the door, putting his hand on the handle. _____________________________________________________________  
  
* Blitz Chess - a chess game where each player has five minutes in which to make all his moves.  
  
** chess clock - consists of two clocks linked together so that when one stops, the other starts; players hit their button at the end of their turn, and then the other player's time begins.  
  
CONGRATULATIONS TO MY 100th REVIEWER - CatalinaRose! Big huggles!!!  
  
-CatalinaRose: I'm glad it wasn't corny. I worked hard to keep it from being so. Inarticulate? Wow! I'm humbled.  
  
-Sage of Darkness: Yeah, I did a good job on the tension. It's part of what I was aiming for. Thank you.  
  
-candycanekid: Hope this was soon enough for you.  
  
-Sila-chan: You'll get your answers about the orb eventually. Oh, and I'll be getting Appendix C back up in the next few weeks, and it will explain all that technical stuff. Now, stop bouncing, and review.  
  
-Misty: Hee hee, I'm mean!  
  
-Fiery-chan: The meaning of the orb will hopefully become clear to me, soon. The actual addition of the orb came out of nowhere. All I know is that Hermione walked into the room, and Fred and George pleaded with me to let her come over, so I did. I didn't even know they were going to give her anything. So, now both Hermione and I are stuck. But I KNOW the answer is somewhere, I just have to hunt for it. (btw, I'm not REALLY psycho, just a little bit.)  
  
-Rebecca: Hello my fellow Vaillant! Yes, I got your e-mail. I e-mailed you back, did you get it? Anyway, I am happy that you compared my scene to one of my favorite movies. I stressed about that whole chapter. It's good to know that I have left someone speechless! See you around Beauxbatons!  
  
-SophieBabe: Hey, look! It's Madam Author. Hope all is well with our little plans at Beauxbatons. I also hope your questions were answered in this chapter. =)  
  
-Akuma Kanada no Tenchi: **furrows brow and looks towards (hopefully) invisible friend** Uh, do we need to take her to see Madam Pomfrey? Or is she going to be okay? **looks around, worriedly** Okay, hope you liked the chapter.  
  
-QiNq: I'm guilty of the same thing. (Writing the same reviews over and over) I'm am very humbled that you like my story so much. I just hope that the pace doesn't become too slow, because I feel like it is going way slow. FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, I'm only on the 19th of September, and on chapter 15? Oh well, as long as people enjoy it, that's all that matters. 


	17. Aftermath

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world.  
  
Summary (Chps. 1-15) A two-week sailing trip has been planned in April. To prepare, the students are taking a sailing class taught by Dr. Branefeld and a regular Hogwarts teacher. Fifth year Slytherins and Gryffindors are paired, with Professor Sinistra as their instructor. Draco and Hermione are to be partners and navigators for their class. They each begin to experience feelings for each other, but fight it. During a moment of unguarded passion at the Astronomy Tower, Ron and Harry burst in. Harry and Ron hex Draco. Draco performs the Cruciatus Curse on Ron.  
  
  
  
Chapter 16: Aftermath  
  
Hermione pushed open the door, as Draco pulled it open. The two froze when they saw each other. For the briefest moment, they gazed into each other's eyes, both desperate to turn the clock back thirty minutes; back before they were interrupted by Harry and Ron.  
  
Draco desperately wanted to apologize - apologize? - yes, apologize for what had he'd done. He wanted to take her back into his arms; he wanted to run his fingers through her hair; he wanted to finally feel her lips on his. He opened his mouth to say so, ready to acquiesce to the voice.  
  
"Hermione-"  
  
"Shut up, Malfoy. Or did you not understand when I said I didn't want you to talk to me?" She pushed her way past Draco and stormed across the platform to grab her bag, as well as Harry's and Ron's. When she reached them, she paused. She wanted to turn around to see if Draco was still in the doorway, but her brain wouldn't allow her limbs to move. With effort, she scooped up the bags and turned around.  
  
Draco was gone.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she headed across the empty stones and back into the stairwell. Quickly, she made her way back down the spiraling stairs and turned the corner. As she did, she heard the distant voices of her fellow classmates; she'd made it down just in time.  
  
Her heart was aching; she had experienced so many emotions in such a short time that she was unsure what to think or do. With her head down, she quickly moved through the hallways back to the Gryffindor common room, looping around the long way.  
  
"Duffer doofer," she muttered at the Fat Lady.  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be with the rest of your year up in class?" questioned the Fat Lady.  
  
Hermione stood looking at the Fat Lady with exasperation written all over her face. "Just open up!" She waited for a moment longer before the Fat Lady, indignation stamped on her features, finally moved her large frame. Hermione stepped past her and moved into the empty common room.  
  
Flames were still leaping joyfully in the fireplace. She moved over to the red couch, dropped her heavy load, sat down, and stared into the fire until her eyelids drooped.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
Draco watched as Hermione strode across the length of the stonework floor. He saw her pause and hoped she'd turn around; she didn't. He turned and descended the staircase. Dejectedly, he trudged through the hallways, ending up at the door of the empty classroom. He pushed it open and walked through.  
  
Moving to the familiar window seat, he collapsed and stared out on the ever-peaceful Hogwarts' grounds. He replayed the evening in his head unwillingly. He could recall every curve and line on Hermione's face; closing his eyes, he could smell the intoxicating scent of her hair. He could feel the softness of her hands as he had held them. His stomach flip- flopped when he remembered how she had wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. He let a noisy breath exhale from his lungs, and shook his head.  
  
The voice had tried; the voice had lost. He knew this was his last night in the safety of Hogwarts. Once Dumbledore learned what he'd done to Ron, he'd be expelled. Fortunately, he didn't have to worry about Azkaban, not yet anyway; being an under-age wizard had some benefits. Once his father had finished 'molding' him, however, the fear of Azkaban would become an ever-present worry.  
  
A violent shiver ran up his spine as the events of the summer invaded his mind. Screams of tortured muggles echoed in his brain. Revulsion spread across his face as he remembered the joy with which his father continued to recite incantations. With pride, his father had pointed out the subtle differences of the effects of the curse, depending on how long you held the curse in place. He demanded that Draco practice again and again. He could remember the way that the muggles' voices turned from loud screams to harsh, hoarse pleas as the torture was continued for long, uninterrupted periods of time.  
  
His father taught him the intricacies of knowing when the victim needed a break, in order to keep the victim alive, and when to finish off a victim. He had learned curses that were known only amongst those in league with the Dark Lord, and had not only performed them on others, but had been the victim of them as well. His father reasoned that it was important to know what each curse felt like; it created a stronger feeling of joy performing a curse when you knew the effects.  
  
Suddenly, Draco was aware that he was shaking; sweat ran in rivulets down his ivory skin. His eyes snapped open, and he forced himself to gain control of his nerves. It took great effort, but he finally managed to calm down. Standing, he paced the length of the room. He almost chuckled out loud when he remembered the last time he'd been in here; the night he made his decision to forget about Hermione. A lot of good that decision did.  
  
Moving back to the window, he resumed his former position and stared out of the window until his eyelids drooped.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
Sunlight streamed through the windows early on Wednesday morning, gently kissing Hermione awake. Slowly she opened her eyes. She was stretched out across the couch, and someone had covered her with a blanket. Sighing, she pushed herself up, folded the blanket and stumbled up the stairs to her dorm room.  
  
"Hermione!" Lavender shrieked as she entered the room. "Why weren't you in class last night?"  
  
"I wasn't feeling too well," she answered. It wasn't exactly a lie.  
  
Brushing past the excitable Lavender, Hermione headed to their bathroom, took a quick shower, and got prepared for the day. She headed to the Great Hall, ate a quick breakfast, and made a bee-line for the Hospital Wing.  
  
"Madam Pomfrey?"  
  
Madam Pomfrey popped out of her office when she heard the student's voice. "Ah, Ms. Granger. I am guessing you are here to inquire about the condition of you friends?" She waited for Hermione's acquiescence. "Well, Harry should be up at any moment, he'll be joining the rest of the school today, however, Ron will be here for a while, still. I'm not sure why, but he's still feeling poorly. What happened with your little 'wand problems'?"  
  
"Oh, I.I don't know. That's why I brought them here." Hermione hated lying, but she wanted to wait until Ron was feeling better before she made a decision about whether to tell on Draco or not.  
  
Madam Pomfrey looked suspiciously at Hermione. "Well, okay.you may go see them." She watched Hermione maneuver her way around hospital equipment as she made her way to Harry's bed. 'If there is not something going on with that girl, I'll eat my apron,' she thought, before returning to her office.  
  
"Harry?" Hermione gently shook him. "You awake yet?"  
  
Harry mumbled something unintelligible.  
  
"Harry, come on, wake up."  
  
Harry slowly opened his eyes. "Huh?"  
  
A smile spread across Hermione's face. "Good morning, Harry. How are you feeling?"  
  
"What time is it?" he asked, groggily.  
  
"Eight in the morning. Madam Pomfrey said you could leave, if you want."  
  
Harry pushed himself into a sitting position and turned to look at Hermione. "Yeah, I want to get out of here. What about Ron?"  
  
"He needs to stay a little longer." Guilt crossed her features. "She's not sure what happened to him, so she's keeping him for observation."  
  
"Look, Herm, we have to go to Dumbledore about this." Hermione looked away from him. "I don't understand why you are so reluctant. I mean, this is Malfoy we're talking about. If it had been, oh, let's say, Lee Jordan, who had done this, I'd be willing to find out why, but we know why Malfoy did this. He did it because he's going to be a Death Eater; because he is evil."  
  
She stood looking at Harry, knowing that what he was saying made all the sense in the world. She took a quick breath. "You're right. Will you go with me to see Dumbledore?"  
  
A smile of relief appeared on Harry's face. "Yes, I will." He looked over at the sleeping Ron. "Should we wake him?"  
  
"No, let him sleep. I'd rather get the whole telling on Malfoy thing out of the way, first."  
  
Harry nodded and stood up. Grabbing his cloak from a nearby hook, he draped it over his arm and left the Hospital Wing with Hermione in tow.  
  
"Do you want to get something to eat, first, Harry?"  
  
"Nah, I'd rather go talk with Dumbledore, first."  
  
"Okay."  
  
They walked in silence, each wrapped in their own thoughts until they reached the stone gargoyle standing guard in front of the entrance to Dumbledore's. After a few tries, Harry stumbled upon the correct password and the two students ascended the narrow staircase.  
  
Harry reached up and knocked on the door. A muffled 'come in' was heard, and he pushed the door open.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger! Something I can help you with?" He motioned them to sit in two comfortable chairs.  
  
"Yes, sir. There is," Harry replied.  
  
"Well, then, no time like the present." His blue eyes twinkled behind his half moon glasses.  
  
"Well, sir, the thing is-"  
  
"We have sort of a hypothetical question," Hermione interrupted, receiving a glare from Harry. "Let's say that some students are having a duel, and one of them, without meaning to, casts an Unforgivable Curse?"  
  
Dumbledore silently looked at Hermione for a long moment. "Well, to begin with, a duel is punishable by detention. But, for a student who casts an Unforgivable Curse, he or she faces much more serious action. Fortunately, for a student, being put in Azkaban is extremely unlikely, however, other repercussions are unavoidable. Now, did you two come here to ask me about hypothetical problems?"  
  
Harry looked over at Hermione and gave her a look that told her to stay quiet.  
  
"Draco put the Cruciatus Curse on Ron last night." Harry said quickly, before Hermione could stop him again.  
  
Dumbledore sat back in his chair, closed his eyes for a brief moment, and looked back over at his students.  
  
"Continue." For the next half-hour, the two told Dumbledore what had occurred in the Astronomy Tower; Hermione being careful to not include any of the more private moments she's had with Draco before the interruption. They finally reached the end of their story and both looked over at Dumbledore.  
  
"Thank you for informing me. I will take care of it. I would ask that you two keep your knowledge to yourselves; you two may leave now. If I am in need of further information, I will let you know."  
  
The two stood and prepared to leave Dumbledore's office. But he stopped them with his next sentence.  
  
"Oh, and Mr. Potter, when Mr. Weasley is feeling better I will inform the two of you of the nature of your detentions." Harry grimaced and followed Hermione down the stairwell.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
Draco slowly entered the Great Hall and slid into an empty spot at the Slytherin tables. He reached for a plate of pancakes, and stacked a few on his plate before drowning them with pumpkin syrup.  
  
"Draco, hey man, where were you last night?" Crabbe asked, slipping onto the bench next to Draco while Goyle sat down on the other side of Draco.  
  
"None of your business." Draco violently attacked his stack of pancakes with his fork.  
  
"Well, I was just wondering." Crabbe turned to look at the variety of food on the table and quickly piled up his plate. Goyle quickly copied the actions of his counterpart, and the three boys ate in silence.  
  
A flutter of wings announced the arrival of owl post, and students looked up eagerly awaiting packages and letters. A large barn owl swooped down and dropped a small note in Draco's lap. He opened it, curious.  
  
Mr. Malfoy,  
  
I request your presence in my office after your Care of Magical Creatures class to discuss a matter of some importance.  
  
Thank you,  
  
Dumbledore (password: chocolate ice cream)  
  
Draco folded up the letter and shoved it in his robe pocket, a sinking feeling settling on his stomach. Well, tomorrow he would be back at home for good. Tomorrow he'd have to begin his forced training in earnest. He suddenly felt extremely ill. He jumped up from the table and raced out of the Great Hall, leaving a confused Crabbe and Goyle behind.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
The morning passed quickly; too quickly. Before he knew how it had happened, Care of Magical Creatures was over. Slowly, he made his way to Dumbledore's. He reached the gargoyle quicker than he wanted to, and muttered the password.  
  
The gargoyle slid open, and Draco ascended the stairway with a heavy heart. He knocked on the door, and entered when Dumbledore's voice instructed him to.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, please, take a seat."  
  
With mounting fear, he took quick strides to the chair, and collapsed in the chair. He kept his head down, and studied the contours of his black robe. Excuses for his actions were racing through his head; he didn't want to go home.  
  
"I have heard some disturbing news, and I would like to hear your take on what occurred."  
  
Draco, his mouth dry with fear, tired to speak, but couldn't. He could feel pressure behind his eyes.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore stood and moved over to an adjacent chair, "I cannot assist you if you to not tell me what happened. As it stands, I may have to dismiss you from this school." Dumbledore carefully gauged Draco's reaction to his words. He nodded to himself when he saw the young man imperceptibly stiffen. "However, if I determine that you were not acting in malice, but for another reason, dismissal will not be considered." He watched the young man's shoulders relax a little.  
  
For a time, the two sat in silence. Draco finally lifted his head. "I didn't mean to do it, sir." He flinched as he recalled saying those words to Hermione, and the cold look he'd received from her. "It was an accident."  
  
"An accident? Mr. Malfoy, casting a curse of that magnitude is not something that any fifth year student can do. It's not even something that seventh years are likely to know. I do not want to pry into your personal business, but I must know two things: one, how you learned this curse, and two, why you deem it an accident." He watched as Draco leaned forward in his chair, and dropped his head into his hands. "I know that it may be difficult, but the alternative is dismissal. Therefore, Mr. Malfoy, I believe you are left with no choice but to give me the information I require. I promise you, what you say in here will not go beyond the door."  
  
Staring at the floor, Draco try to figure out how to tell the Headmaster all that had happened to him over the summer. "Sir, I-I can't tell you everything, without harming-others." He thought about the threat his father had thrown, so casually, at Draco at the end of a muggle torture session. 'My son, I sense your reluctance to join us. Please, take care that you do not do anything that would ultimately cause considerable pain to your mother.'  
  
"Again, Mr. Malfoy-I give you my word that I will keep all that you tell me private. I understand that some secrets have dire consequences if they are divulged."  
  
Taking a deep breath, Draco began. "My father is a Death Eater-," he looked up, "but I believe you know that already, according to Potter." He waited for acknowledgement from the Headmaster, before continuing. "He has great plans for me in the future ranks of You-Know-Who-"  
  
"Please, Mr. Malfoy, let's not show fear of Voldemort's name."  
  
Draco gave a reluctant nod. "Since I was young, my father has been teaching me the Dark Arts-makes my Defense class a piece of cake-" He laughed derisively. "But this past summer, things changed. He has been pushing me harder than before; almost desperately. This summer, he forced me to participate in the-in the-" He buried his head in his hands. "In the torture and death of muggles." His voice broke, and a sob wracked his body. He'd never said that out loud before. As he did, the screams of those he'd tortured and killed came back, this time louder. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he forced himself to get control.  
  
Dumbledore watched as Draco regathered his strength, and continued, in a gentle voice, "Mr. Malfoy, I am certain that what you have experienced is beyond imagination. For your sake, you need not go on. Just tell me why you performed the Cruciatus Curse on Mr. Weasley."  
  
Looking up, he gave the Headmaster a grateful smile, before his face resumed it's typical exterior. "I didn't mean to do it. It was reflex. He attacked me from behind, and-and it was the first curse to pop into my head." He dropped his head again, in defeat, as Hermione's stony face flooded his mind. In a hoarse whisper he said, "If I could take it back, I would."  
  
"That's what I hoped you'd say, Mr. Malfoy. I will get back to you later with your punishment, as I must give it some thought. Also, I will be asking Professor Snape to speak with you. You are dismissed."  
  
Draco gave Dumbledore a strange look at the mention of Snape, but the Headmaster did not appear inclined to go into details. Slowly, Draco stood, and departed from the office.  
  
  
  
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Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I am in the beginnings of starting my Master's thesis, and have very little time on my hands right now. I will try to get a chapter out at least every two weeks. Again, if you would like to be e-mailed when I update--let me know. If I do e-mail you, and you would like to be removed from my list--let me know.  
  
-Chikata: Geez, I don't know if anyone deserves that! Hope you liked this latest chapter.  
  
-Sage of Darkness: Draco is really going through the wringer. I agree with your synopsis. If Draco and Hermione are going to "get together" it won't be easy.  
  
-f0xyness39: Geez, another person mad at Ron.  
  
-SophieBabe: Thank you! It was difficult to write this chapter. Draco and Hermione were glaring at me! (And Ron was definitely not too happy.)  
  
-Fiery-chan: Aw, but are all chances lost?  
  
-courtney: Glad you liked the necklace and the whole scene between Draco and Hermione.  
  
-Misty: I like that "forbidden fruit"! It has a nice ring to it. Be patient. The romance is coming. I just want to keep this realistic. And I hope you don't continue to hate me. =(  
  
-Queen of the Roses: Thank you! Hope you had a good night's sleep. And I hope I adequately answered your question about the whole curse/Azkaban thing. Draco is a really tough character to write-much tougher than I at first thought. Thank you for your words on encouragement.  
  
-Akuma Kanada no Tenchi: I'm glad you have recovered. Hope this chapter was worth waiting for.  
  
-QiNg: I'm glad you don't think it's going too slow. And no need to fear, it will not turn into some unrealistic they-suddenly-fall-madly-in-love-and- make-out story. This will take time to build. There will be lots of angst for a bit, but your patience will be worth it. I promise.  
  
-Jenie: Hey! Thank you so much for your wonderful review. Reviews like yours really keep me going.  
  
-blueberry girl: Hope you figured it all out. If you send me your e-mail, then I will be able to e-mail you when I update.  
  
-Snow White: I don't know how you missed so much. You didn't tell me. =) Anyway, hope you liked this chapter. Oh, and I hope you did okay on your tests)  
  
-Glenda the Owl: I hope this chapter came along soon enough.  
  
-Rebecca: Hope you got my e-mail. (Of course, I probably know already.) Anyway, I am glad you realize that Draco is desperately needing Hermione. I hope to be able to play with that for quite abit.  
  
-CrazyCat: Thank you. I hope you liked this new chapter.  
  
-MidnightSun: I'm grateful for your comments. I hope that this chapter was worth the wait.  
  
-CatalinaRose: I actually got online and found a chess site to get those moves.I'm not too good at chess.Harry could probably beat me in a couple of moves. Thanks for your great review, again.you're the best. 


	18. Dententions and Tension

This chapter is dedicated to CatalinaRose-hope you got some sleep-Oh, and, "I'll do Draco!"-I'm still not over it!!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world.  
  
Summary (Chps. 1-16) A two-week sailing trip has been planned in April. To prepare, the students are taking a sailing class taught by Dr. Branefeld and a regular Hogwarts teacher. Fifth year Slytherins and Gryffindors are paired, with Professor Sinistra as their instructor. Draco and Hermione are to be partners and navigators for their class. They each begin to experience feelings for each other, but fight it. During a moment of unguarded passion at the Astronomy Tower, Ron and Harry burst in. Harry and Ron hex Draco. Draco performs the Cruciatus Curse on Ron. Hermione and Harry tell Dumbledore what happened. Dumbledore talks with Draco. Draco tells about the horrible stuff he dealt with over the summer.  
  
_____________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 17:Dententions and Tension  
  
Harry trudged into the Gryffindor common room late in the evening on Saturday. He had spent the whole day cleaning out the Quidditch locker rooms, without magic, as his detention for dueling. He made it across the room and collapsed on the couch. Moments later Ron followed him in, fingers looking like red prunes from finishing his day of washing meal dishes in the kitchen as his detention. With a sigh of exhaustion, he collapsed next to Harry.  
  
"Man, I'm glad that's over!"  
  
Harry nodded his agreement.  
  
"I can't believe that Dumbledore didn't expel Malfoy. How he got out of that is beyond me."  
  
Again, Harry nodded.  
  
"Hi guys," Hermione chimed, walking down the stairs from her dorm. "Glad it's all over?"  
  
Harry managed to find his voice. "Very. I had no idea that a locker room could be so dirty. I thought for sure I'd be done by lunch."  
  
"Well, at least you had that hope. I knew I'd be stuck in the kitchen all day no matter how fast or slow I worked."  
  
Hermione took a seat between the boys. "Well, you guys did deserve detention."  
  
"Hermione! We were trying to help you! Who knows what Malfoy would have done if we hadn't shown up." Ron's face began to take on a pink tinge. "I mean, he had his arms around you, for crying out loud. What kind of spell did he put on you? Did you eat or drink anything that he gave you? I mean-"  
  
Hermione tuned him out as he continued, unabated, for another few minutes. She knew that this conversation would have to eventually occur; now that it seemed about to, she wished it wasn't time. She didn't know how to answer Ron's questions. She still wasn't sure how she'd found herself in Draco's embrace. She couldn't understand why her heart beat faster whenever she thought about it. A part of her almost believed that Draco must have placed a spell of some sort on her, there just wasn't any good explanation as to why she was having these thoughts and feelings.  
  
"So?" Ron practically screamed in Hermione's ear, shaking her out of her thoughts.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ron. What?" She watched Harry stifle a laugh.  
  
"I asked you, why were you in Malfoy's arms?" He watched her carefully.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she answered. "Ron, I don't really know."  
  
Silence, punctuated by snaps and pops from the fire, lasted for a brief moment.  
  
"What the hell do you mean you don't know!" his face completely red now.  
  
"I mean, I don't know. Maybe you're right. Maybe he did perform a spell or something. All I know is that he was helping me with my nocturnal, and then-well, you guys walked out." She looked down, hoping that they couldn't see her blush in the low firelight.  
  
Harry reached out a hand and placed it gently on her shoulder. "Hermione, we're not accusing you of anything," he shot a glare at Ron, "we just want to make sure that everything's okay. I mean, you have been spending a lot of time with Malfoy lately, not that you've had a choice," he added quickly when Hermione looked up at him with a flash of anger in her eyes.  
  
As quickly as the anger flashed across her eyes, it disappeared. "I know you guys have been worried about all the time I've had to spend with Malfoy. I appreciate it, but he's been pretty much okay. Except for Tuesday night." She gave a heavy sigh.  
  
"So, when do you have to start working with him again?" Ron asked, decidedly calmer.  
  
"On Monday night. Dumbledore spoke with Professor Sinistra and asked her to forgive us our homework for this week. I don't think he told her why." She turned her head to gaze into the fire.  
  
"Do you know what type of punishment Malfoy got?" Ron questioned.  
  
She looked up at him. "Why would I know that? I know he wasn't expelled, but you obviously know that too."  
  
"Okay, that was a stupid question. I think I'm just overly tired. I'm gonna head up to bed. You coming Harry?"  
  
"I'll be up in a bit."  
  
"Okay." Ron stood, stretched and headed up to his dorm.  
  
The two remaining friends sat in companionable silence for a few moments. Harry finally broke the silence.  
  
"Herm, I want you to be honest with me." He turned to look at her taking one of her hands into his and tilting her face up, to look into her eyes, with his other hand. "What was going on up there that night? Because it didn't look like you were struggling to get away from him. It looked like you wanted to be there."  
  
Staring into Harry's caring emerald eyes, Hermione had the urge to tell him everything. Everything from when she first felt her heart beat fast when Draco looked at her; how he'd so tenderly held her hand in the infirmary; how she had looked forward to seeing him every evening; how she had wanted nothing more on Tuesday then to feel his lips against hers. She opened her mouth to say so, but nothing came out.  
  
"Herm, whatever it is, I promise, I won't get upset with you." He watched her carefully for a few more minutes.  
  
"Harry," she said, gently removing his hand from her face and looking down, "I really can't answer that question. Not right now. I'm just-well, a lot has happened this week, and I'm still trying to figure it all out. I promise, though, that if I ever need to talk to someone, you'll be the first one I come to." She gave him a quick hug and darted up the stairs before he could stop her.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
Draco entered the Slytherin dungeon and swept across the room ready to go to bed. It had been a long day spent scrubbing cauldrons for Snape. Saturdays would most definitely not be something to be looked forward to from now on; though scrubbing cauldrons every Saturday until Christmas was highly preferable to being expelled. He reached the stairway preparing to move straight on up, when an unwelcome voice stopped him.  
  
"Where have you been all day?"  
  
Without turning, he answered. "It's none of your business, Pansy." He continued to proceed up the stairs, but Pansy moved in front of him, one step higher, placed a hand on his chest and glared into his eyes. Draco cocked an eyebrow, and spat, "What?"  
  
"I just think I have a right to know what kept you busy all day long. It wasn't that Mudblood, was it?"  
  
Draco almost backhanded her when she said mudblood. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to remain calm, and kept his hands by his side. "Again, Pansy-it is none of your business." He removed her hand, none too gently, and pushed past her skipping every other step to reach his dorm.  
  
The snores of Goyle and Crabbe echoed around the dark room. Draco quickly discarded his robe and clothing and slipped on a pair of dark green silk pajamas. Climbing into bed, he pulled the curtain closed around him, and lay, staring up at the green velvet canopy. A sense of injustice swept over him.  
  
He was astounded that his detention only required him to clean cauldrons every Saturday. True, it was tough work, but it was really nowhere close to what type of punishment he should have received. He couldn't put a finger on why that exactly bothered him, though. Most people, himself included, would be thrilled with receiving less of a punishment than they deserve, but this time, at least, Draco was not satisfied. A loud sigh escaped him as he rolled over to get some sleep.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
Snape finished grading the last stack of essays just as Draco finished cleaning his last cauldron.  
  
"Professor, I'll be going now," Draco had announced. With a nod, Snape dismissed the young man, his mind returning to his conversation with Dumbledore earlier that week.  
  
_________  
  
"Albus, are you sure I'm the best one to talk with young Malfoy? Certainly there must be better qualified people." He shook his head at the Headmaster's request.  
  
"Qualified or not, Severus, you are the best person to reach him. You, better than anyone, know what he's facing." Dumbledore watched the face of the young potions's instructor carefully.  
  
A heavy sigh escaped him. "Albus, I know you're right. I just don't know if I'm going to be able to do any good."  
  
Dumbledore sat in silence for a few moments. "What I am about to share with you is strictly confidential. I suppose that if I am to expect you to fully understand why I need you, of all people, to mentor Mr. Malfoy, I should let you know the darker information he shared with me."  
  
Severus looked up, uncertain if he really wanted to hear this.  
  
Dumbledore launched into a lengthy description of what Draco had shared with him in the office only the night before. He watched as the potion master's eyes alternated between anger, compassion, and empathy. He noticed that Severus gripped the arms of the chair so hard at times that his knuckles grew whiter than normal. By the time Dumbledore had shared everything with Severus, his mouth was set in determination; Dumbledore knew he'd succeeded.  
  
_________  
  
Severus shook his head and looked around the empty classroom. "Now, if I just knew what to say," he muttered, standing and leaving for his quarters.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
September ended and the chill of October had fully set in. Draco and Hermione completed their nightly calculations in tense silence. Draco wanted to apologize to Hermione; he wanted to break the tension. Her stony appearance stopped him every time; Hermione's façade was more Slytherin- like than most Slytherin's. Her demeanor told him all he needed to know. She had no interest in discussing what had happened.  
  
Hermione kept watching Draco out of the corner of her eye. She wanted to ask him why he'd performed the Cruciatus Curse, but every time she looked over at him, the hard look on his face stopped her. She wanted to believe that there was a reason why he'd done it; that it had been a mistake. But that Slytherin look on his face told her all she needed to know; it hadn't been a mistake. So why hadn't he been dismissed from Hogwarts in disgrace? Sure, Dumbledore was known for giving second chances, but this was an awfully risky second chance.  
  
Each evening, the two students followed the same plan. Hermione used the nocturnal and the astrolabe; Draco, the sextant and cross-staff. They performed an eerie dance with one another: completing measurements; filling in the log book; glancing unobtrusively at one another. All the while never once touching each other, talking to each other, or actually catching the other's eye. Sailing homework created an even more difficult atmosphere. Tense words were flung across a large table in the library; parchment pushed brusquely between separate quills; large tomes shoved quickly from one side to the other.  
  
Both dreaded Monday morning. They sat as far from one another as possible during the lectures and spoke as little as possible during discussions. Their weekly navigation reports caused the most tension; Professor Sinistra expected them to present jointly. Somehow, they managed to present their updates and appear to be working together. But the strain was getting to them.  
  
Wednesday night, Hermione gathered up her bag and headed out of the common room, Harry's Cloak and the book from the Restricted Section safely stowed in the bottom of her bag. She had decided to go to the library again to hunt for more information on the hydrophanous orb. She had read the unknown wizard's journal over more times than she could count, and she still hadn't found any other mention of the orb. Sighing, she reached the foot of the spiral staircase and climbed slowly to the top.  
  
She pushed the door open, stepping into the bitterly cold air. Draco stood across the way already taking measurements with the sextant. For a long moment she stood and watched him. With a seemingly natural grace he moved his hand to adjust the instrument, brushed back a stray lock of hair, and glanced down to record his findings. He looked up again to finish his final measurement and bent down to replace the sextant in its case. Before he picked up the cross-staff, he placed both hands on the low wall before him, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Hermione watched him, transfixed.  
  
Quite suddenly, he turned.  
  
"Herm-Granger! Finally decided to show up?" He managed a half-hearted sneer.  
  
"I-shut up, Malfoy." Embarrassed to have been caught staring, she briskly moved to her spot and began to pull out her instruments. Without further discussion, the two finished up their calculations. Hermione quickly packed her bag and spun on her heel ready to head to the library.  
  
Draco watched in silence as she swept regally across the cold platform and through the door. Sighing, he reached for his bag, and followed behind her.  
  
She reached into her bag once she had stepped into the hallway. Pulling out the Cloak, she flung it around her shoulders, and stepped lightly down the corridor. She reached the library, slid through the doors, and moved again to the Restricted Section. Placing her bag, and the Cloak, on a chair, she lit her wand and began another search. She had looked through three books before running across one that contained information, limited though it was.  
  
The book ::Rare and Dangerous Magical Items:: had a small paragraph about the hydrophanous orb.  
  
"There is only one known example of a hydrophanous orb known to exist. It is inky black in color and becomes transparent when wet. All other information on this orb is completely unknown."  
  
With a heavy sigh, Hermione closed the book, and pushed it back into its spot on the shelf. Apparently, she was not going to be able to discover what the orb was for easily.  
  
"So, you're at it again, Granger?" She spun and saw Malfoy casually leaning against a bookcase holding Harry's Cloak in his hands. She stared, slack-jawed, at him. "You know, you should know better than to leave something so valuable lying around." He smirked at her, and threw the Cloak around his shoulders.  
  
Hermione flew into action.  
  
In two large steps, she closed the gap between her and where Draco had just been. Grasping with outstretched hands, she unsuccessfully tried to grab a hold of Draco. She heard a low chuckle just behind her, and spun.  
  
"Missed me, Granger."  
  
She moved quickly towards where his voice emanated from, tried to find him, and shrieked when she felt him tug at her hair.  
  
"Damn you, Malfoy, give me back the Cloak!" she hissed.  
  
He laughed, "If you can find me, I'll be glad to give it back."  
  
She listened carefully at the directions in which his footsteps faded and pursued him. His laughter at her failed attempts spurred her ever onward in the midnight chase. A book landing with a thud ahead of her moved her even quicker down the aisle. When she reached the end, she paused. He could have taken any of the four forks ahead.  
  
With a frustrated moan, she chose the farthest left aisle and slowly started down it.  
  
"Wrong aisle, Granger," Draco said, from behind her. She turned and started towards the sound of his voice. For another fifteen minutes, she stumbled about the Restricted Section hunting for any sign of Draco. Exhausted from an overuse of her senses, she leaned against the cold stone of a nearby wall. Her eyes slid closed, and she muttered some expletives about Draco under her breath.  
  
"Those are some pretty harsh words coming from you, Granger," Draco murmured into Hermione's ear.  
  
Her eyes popped open. Draco was standing in front of her, the front of the Cloak open. He stepped forward, grabbed her, and pulled her in. She struggled against him, trying to grab the Cloak at the same time. He only pulled her closer, slapped his hand over her mouth, and moved her close to the wall.  
  
"Quiet!" he whispered. "Listen!"  
  
Hermione obediently stopped her struggle and strained her ears. She heard a shrieking laughter followed by a loud crash.  
  
"Peeves," Draco hissed in her ear. He then removed his hand from Hermione and the two pressed themselves tighter against the unyielding wall. A few seconds later, they watched books flying across the end of the aisle, and then Peeves popped around the end of the aisle. A look of glee was plastered across his face as he pulled and threw more books to the ground.  
  
"Peeves!" a voice yelled. The two students watched in amazement as the Bloody Baron moved through a stack of books. He came to a stop in front of the now cowering Peeves. "I told you to stay out of here," he snapped, with a threatening gesture from his unsheathed sword.  
  
"Y---your Bloodiness, I was just looking around the Fat Friar. You haven't seen him, have you?" Peeves gave a nervous laugh. The Bloody Baron glared at Peeves, until he finally turned and fled from the library. Glancing around, the Bloody Baron sheathed his sword, smoothed his bloodstained clothing, and floated slowly down the aisle toward Hermione and Draco.  
  
Hermione cowered closer to Draco as the Bloody Baron approached them. She wasn't entirely certain that he couldn't see them. She jerked slightly when she felt Draco's arm move around her waist, pulling her closer to him, as he simultaneously pulled the cloak tighter. Just when they thought the Bloody Baron was going to pass through them, he swooped upwards, and passed through the high-vaulted ceiling above.  
  
They both sighed with relief. Hermione attempted to move away from Draco, but he held her firmly. She glared up at him, ready to tell him off, but a strange look in his eyes caused her to freeze.  
  
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I know-I know. I'm horribly mean. But this is where the characters decided to stop. They wanted to go take a break-stars! Anyway, I'm planning on getting the next chapter out sooner. Please, REVIEW!!! It always makes me smile. Oh, and if you want to further you're Harry Potter experience, come join my school. (Okay, I share it with a lot of others).  
  
www.avidgamers.com/Hphogwar  
  
It's a ton of fun. There are still plenty of characters left.  
  
~CatalinaRose: Thank you. Sorry that the update took so long, but you know how preoccupied I've been. =) See ya.  
  
~Akuma Kanada no Tenchi: You have made my day! Wow! Thank you, thank you, thank you.  
  
~SophieBabe: I'm glad you like it. I've struggled to make this story well- written. And, the whole truth will come out-soon, I hope.  
  
~Rebecca: I LOVE your reviews. They are always so uplifting. I hope that this chapter was well-written enough as well.  
  
~CrystallineLily: I'm guilty of missing chapters, too. No problem.  
  
~Glenda the owl: Thank you, and I won't. (at least, not much)  
  
~Misty: I don't try to be mean-it's really all the fault of my characters. They make decisions and I just write what happens. (heehee) But, stay with me. The kiss IS coming.  
  
~Sage of Darkness: Thanks. I really struggle with writing Draco. And Hermione is really not that easy, either. I actually find Harry and Ron to be easy to write, but Draco and Hermione? What have I gotten myself into?  
  
~merzy34: Thanks. Hope you continue to enjoy.  
  
~Sanaria: Thank you. I will.  
  
~draconas: Well, you now know you were added. As for the sea trip, I think that Dumbledore is the kind of person who'd do something like that-just because. I don't know when Draco will lose the mask, though I'm sure he'll be taking it off a few times in the next few chapters.  
  
~Fiery-chan: Thanks. 


	19. Confession

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world, though I wouldn't mind owning Draco.  
  
Summary (Chps. 1-17) A two-week sailing trip has been planned in April. To prepare, the students are taking a sailing class taught by Dr. Branefeld and a regular Hogwarts teacher. Fifth year Slytherins and Gryffindors are paired, with Professor Sinistra as their instructor. Draco and Hermione are to be partners and navigators for their class. They each begin to experience feelings for each other, but fight it. During a moment of unguarded passion at the Astronomy Tower, Ron and Harry burst in. Harry and Ron hex Draco. Draco performs the Cruciatus Curse on Ron. Hermione and Harry tell Dumbledore what happened. Dumbledore talks with Draco. Draco tells about the horrible stuff he dealt with over the summer. Detentions have been served-Draco's to last until December. Hermione and Draco are in the library.  
  
_____________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 18: Confession  
  
She tried to look away from him; his eyes were mesmerizing. She found herself reaching up a shaky hand to brush a stray lock of hair off his forehead; he leaned forward, the slightest bit, bringing their faces closer together. The last four weeks seemed to disappear; she could feel his breath tickle across her cheek. His eyes bore into hers, demanding; pleading. Her breath hitched in her chest. She brought her trembling hand back down to her side, only to feel him encase it in his own shaky hand.  
  
With his free hand, he reached up to cup her soft cheek in his palm. He slid his hand back into her hair and lowered his face, his lips inches from hers. She shivered at his touch, and slowly closed her eyes, giving into the moment. His lips softly pressed against hers sending shivers down to her toes. Letting go of his hand, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to herself. In response, he wrapped his arms around her waist. The kiss continued for a few more moments, when Draco suddenly stumbled. Unsuccessfully, he tried to regain his footing, but fell heavily, pulling the Cloak, and Hermione, down with him.  
  
"Mal-Draco? Are you okay?" Hermione asked. She disentangled herself and Draco from the Cloak. Grabbing her wand, she muttered 'lumos'. In the low light, she saw pain etched across his face. She reached out a hand and placed it on his cheek; it felt cold, too cold. "Draco?" She moved her hand to his shoulder and gently shook him. "Draco, are you okay?" she repeated.  
  
Her breathing shallowed as she waited for a response. His face slowly relaxed, and Hermione took a deep breath as he opened his eyes. She looked into them and saw something she never thought she'd see in Draco Malfoy's eyes-complete disorientation. His eyes searched her face, at a complete loss. Her heart beat hollowly against her chest as she reached out a hand to place back on his still cool cheek.  
  
"Draco?" His eyes settled on hers. "What's the matter?"  
  
He gazed up at her for a few moments. "I-I'm not sure."  
  
"You-fell. Do you remember that?"  
  
He reached a hand up to his cheek, placing it over hers. She jerked a little when he did so, but kept her hand firmly on his cheek. Patiently, she waited for his answer.  
  
His eyes slid closed for a moment, his brow furrowing in concentration. He removed her hand from his cheek while pushing himself up. She placed her hand on her knee and watched him as he reopened his eyes. An icy curtain fell over his eyes.  
  
"I'm fine, Mudblood. Why do you ask?" he sneered.  
  
Without missing a beat, she narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that it's common for you to suddenly fall to the floor." She stood, abruptly yanking the Cloak from the floor and throwing it around her shoulders disappearing at once. From her hidden sanctuary, she wiped at tears that sprung stubbornly to her eyes. She took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to maintain control. She spoke. "Malfoy, what is your problem? One minute you have me in your arms-", she gestured vaguely under the cloak, and stumbled through the next word, "kissing-me and the next minute, you're back to calling me a-a mudblood." Her voice trailed off. Silence blanketed the two for a time. When Draco, now standing, didn't answer, she pushed back the hood of the Cloak and looked into his steely eyes.  
  
She tried to meet his gaze with a matching one, but faltered, and cast her eyes down, hoping he hadn't seen them filling with tears. Slowly, she turned to walk over to her bag.  
  
Draco stood, glaring at her as she cast her eyes down. He'd seen them fill with tears, but stood still. When she turned, he expected to feel relief flood over him, but it didn't. He watched as her disembodied head glided towards her bag. As she reached for the bag, he found himself closing the gap between them in two large strides. He stepped around to face her and placed a hand on each side of her face, forcing her tear- filled eyes to look up into his now emotion filled ones. She tried to pull away, but he held her firmly.  
  
Raggedly, he spoke. "Gr-Hermione. Look, I-damn it-I'm sorry. "  
  
She stopped struggling, surprise filling her teary eyes. In a barely audible voice, she said, "You what?"  
  
Draco released his grip on her, placed his hands to his sides, and looked directly into her eyes. In a firm voice, he repeated his apology. "Hermione, I'm sorry." He had to strain to hear what she said next.  
  
"I never thought I'd ever hear you say that." She looked down for a moment, and then resettled her eyes on his, and spoke a little louder. "What exactly are you sorry for?" Hope filled her question.  
  
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, opened them and gave his reply. "For-for cursing Ron; for calling you mudblood; for everything." He leaned against the wall for support as he spoke, finally slumping to the ground, resting his arms on his knees and placing his head between his hands to stare at the floor.  
  
Hermione stood in the ensuing silence, looking down on the top of his silvery blond head. He'd apologized. Unbelievable as it was, he had. A lump grew in her throat as she stood watching him. He looked so defeated; so vulnerable; so fragile. She slipped the Cloak off, placing it back on the nearby chair, and knelt in front of him.  
  
In a soft voice, she spoke. "Draco, thank you. You don't know what it means to me that you apologized. I forgive you." She waited.  
  
Slowly the words sunk in. She'd forgiven him. He'd never been forgiven for anything in his life. Never. Even at home, his father and mother still held every mistake he'd ever made over his head. A feeling he'd never felt flooded through him. He felt a pressure behind his eyes and, for once, he wasn't ashamed that he was about to cry. He looked up to meet Hermione's glistening cinnamon eyes with his tear filled ones.  
  
"You-you forgive me? Really?" The words choked their way out of his throat. She emphatically nodded, and reached out a hand to brush away a tear that had escaped his eye.  
  
She left her hand on his cheek as she spoke. "Yes. I do. I forgive you," she answered him in a whisper.  
  
She watched as he closed his eyes in apparent relief and leaned his head back against the stonewall he was leaning against. She moved to sit next to him and, hesitating for a brief moment, slipped her hand into his. After a moment, he gently squeezed her hand and turned to look at her.  
  
"Now what?" he asked in a helpless voice.  
  
"What do you mean, now what?"  
  
"I mean, I've apologized and you've forgiven me-what now?"  
  
"I don't know." She turned her head and leaned it back against the wall. "Draco, you looked like you were in pain-after you fell." She paused, not knowing what else to say.  
  
"I know."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
He swallowed a few times before answering in a whisper, "I don't know." He tightened his grip on her hand as he remembered the pain that had shot through him.  
  
"It's never happened before?"  
  
"No."  
  
"What did it feel like?"  
  
She waited patiently for his answer. He finally pulled his hand away from hers and ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh.  
  
"Hermione-I've never felt anything like it. I've been-I've felt pain before, but it was nothing like that." His voice trailed off for a moment. "It was like lightning was coursing through my body, bursting every blood vessel." His voice lowered to a whisper. "I've never felt anything so painful."  
  
Without knowing how, Hermione had her arms wrapped around him. She gently rocked him as he broke into quiet sobs. "Shhh. It's okay. Shh." It was surreal, holding Draco while he was sobbing. If she'd been told that she'd be here, doing this, a year ago she'd have laughed herself sick. Now she wanted nothing more that to hold him and comfort him. Slowly his sobs abated.  
  
"Draco? Are you gonna be okay?"  
  
Gently, he pushed away from her. "Yeah. I'll be fine." He shot a look at her. "You're not going to tell anyone about this, are you?"  
  
She gave a gentle laugh. "Draco, who'd believe me, even if I did tell? You're Malfoy. Malfoy who hates me; Malfoy who is as cold as ice; Malfoy, the future Death Eater." She looked over at him. "Don't worry. I won't tell a soul."  
  
A smile slowly grew on his face as he listened to Hermione list off some of his more horrible traits. "You're funny when you get sarcastic." He smirked.  
  
"Oh, shut up, Malfoy!" She glared at him, before breaking into a grin.  
  
He reached out a hand and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "So-"  
  
She shivered slightly. "So what?"  
  
He leaned over and whispered, "So, can I kiss you again?" He looked into her eyes, a twinkle in his.  
  
She hesitated. "Draco, we need to talk, first."  
  
"Talk? About what?" he almost sneered. He leaned back against the wall with a sigh. "Sorry," he said when he looked over to see the glare that Hermione was leveling at him. "What do we need to talk about?"  
  
"What happened-that night," she vaguely waved her hand in the air. "After Harry and Ron showed up. When you cursed Ron."  
  
"Oh, right, that." He closed his eyes.  
  
"Draco, why did you do it?"  
  
"You don't want to know."  
  
"Yes, I do." She turned to look at him, placing a hand gently on his arm. "I need to know, Draco. You must understand that. If I don't know, how can I possibly trust that it won't happen again?"  
  
He kept his eyes closed for so long, that Hermione began to wonder if he'd drifted off to sleep. Abruptly, he snapped his eyes open and looked right at her.  
  
"Hermione, I'll tell you. Be prepared, it's not pleasant what I'm about to tell you." His eyes bore into hers. She gave a small nod.  
  
"My-my father is a Death Eater."  
  
"I know. Harry told me all-"  
  
He put a finger up. "Hermione, don't interrupt me. If you want to know, listen. Maybe, if I feel like it, I'll answer your questions and listen to your comments when I'm done." He put his hand back down and looked at her until she gave him a nod.  
  
"Good. Now, my father is a Death Eater. I used to be proud of that. I'm not proud of it anymore. I'm not sure when my attitude changed, I only know that it did. For as long as I can remember, my father has been preparing me for the day when I would take a place at his side in the inner circle of the Dark Lord, assuming, of course, that he would arise from the dead. I used to desire that power more than anything." His voice faltered for a moment and he shifted himself into a more comfortable position before picking his monologue back up.  
  
"What you have to understand, Hermione, is that from the time I could hold a wand, my father has been teaching me curses. The first time I remember using the Cruciatus Curse was when I was six. I performed the curse on a squirrel, much to the amusement of my father. I don't really know if the spell worked because of anything I did; my father had his wand out and was standing behind me, he quite possibly could have performed it to make me think that my curse had worked.  
  
"Regardless, I was very proud of my power at that time, and enjoyed seeing the look of pride on my father's face. By the time I came to Hogwarts, he had taught me curses you've never heard of; things that only Death Eaters know about. To be honest, our Dark Arts class has always been a bit of a bore for me. I know more than most of professor's ever knew- well, Quirrell knew most of it, probably all.  
  
"Potter actually messed things up for me, in a way." He paused at the glare that Hermione leveled at him. "Hold on, I'll explain. With the Dark Lord presumed dead, my father only taught me the curses. He didn't-well- I'll get to that in a moment." He swallowed hard.  
  
"Basically, if Potter hadn't killed You-Know-Who, then I would never have been sent to Hogwarts; I never would have experienced life without the constant fear of my father. But, Potter did, and I learned what life could be like without my father shadowing my every move. As I got used to the freedom of Hogwarts, I also began to think things through.  
  
"I came to the conclusion, after the Tri Wizard Tournament, that I no longer wanted to follow my father's footsteps. I no longer had the same desire for power that I'd lusted after as a kid. Basically, I had tasted freedom and I didn't want to be under someone else's rule-my father's or the Dark Lord's. In a stupid decision, I told my father just that." He put his head between his hands and took a deep breath, letting it out, before he continued.  
  
"When I told him, he performed the Cruciatus on me." He paused as Hermione gasped in a breath, but he continued before she could say anything. "He'd performed it on me many times as punishment when I was a kid, but always it was for a brief moment. This time, he held it on me for much longer. I don't even know how long. I faded in and out as the pain shot through me." His voice lowered to a raspy whisper as he spoke, unwanted images flooding his mind. He shook his head and continued.  
  
"It didn't stop at that. He decided it was time to make me learn my place in life. He began to put me through many curses, some much more painful than the Cruciatus. But," he faltered, "but-worse than the tortures he put me through-" He paused and tried to muster the courage to continue. He could feel himself shake as he tried to formulate the words. Hermione sat, frozen, waiting for him to continue.  
  
In a voice barely above a whisper he continued. "He made me perform the curses on muggles. And not just any muggles, but he made me-made me perform them on children." He choked back a sob and continued, his voice a little louder. "He made me watch as they tortured, raped and murdered muggle parents, and then-then he would make me torture and murder the-the children." He stopped. Silence descended upon the two. Hermione finally stirred and reached over a hand, slipping it into Draco's limp one and gave it a gentle squeeze.  
  
He looked up, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears, in a choked voice, he continued. "He-he made me practice, often. He-he would have me duel other Death Eaters, and I-I learned to use the Cruciatus quickly. Having had the others performed on me, I knew it was the least painful. Casting the curse has become-instinct." He took a shaky breath and let it out. "Hermione, please believe me. When I cursed Ron, it was all a mistake. I never meant to." He stopped again, pulled his hand from Hermione's and miserably sunk his head between his hands, giving in to his tears.  
  
Hermione sat in stone silence for a brief moment as Draco began to sob. Then she reached over and, for the second time that evening, held him as he cried. Eventually the tears dried up and he began to suffer from hiccups.  
  
"Draco," she said, "thank you, for sharing. I-I can't even begin to imagine what you're feeling. I-I don't know how you have remained sane through all you've experienced."  
  
Draco slowly pulled away from Hermione and looked at her, a hardness entering his eyes. "Hermione, if you ever tell-"  
  
With a sigh she interrupted him. "Draco-I already told you I won't tell anyone."  
  
"Not even Potter and Weasley, Hermione. I know how damn close you three are." Uninvited bitterness crept into his voice as he spoke.  
  
"Draco, first, you can call them Harry and Ron-it won't kill you. Secondly, when I say I won't tell anyone, that's exactly what I mean- anyone." She looked into his stony eyes until they softened and he gave a nod.  
  
"Okay. I believe you." He reached up a hand and ran it through his hair. "Hermione, what I just told you-no one else has been told. Dumbledore knows some of it, or I'd have been expelled. He doesn't know that I-I tortured and killed children." His voice cracked a little as he spoke.  
  
"Draco, it's not your fault." She reached over and put her hand on his cheek. "You're father would have killed you."  
  
"Yes. He probably would have, but then those children-"  
  
"Would still be dead. I don't mean to sound callous, but he'd have killed those children with or without your help. You know that. He may have used the excuse of training you to kill them, but he'd have killed them anyway."  
  
He looked at her for a few moments. He spoke in monotone. "You're right. I know you're right. It's tough, though. Every night, when I close my eyes, I can see the terrified faces of each child I tortured and killed. I can hear the horrified screams echoing in my brain."  
  
Hermione removed her hand from his cheek and picked up his hand, cupping it between hers. "And you probably will see and hear them every night for a long time. What you went through is horrible. Maybe you could get a Dreamless Sleep potion from Madam Pomfrey to take before you go to bed every night?"  
  
He gave a vehement nod of his head. "No. I'd feel worse. I really would. At least having to see and hear what I did every night is some sort of justice for the pointless deaths of those children."  
  
Hermione took in what he said in silence. Quietly, the two sat on the cold floor, looking at each other. Draco finally moved his hand from hers and pulled her close to him, still keeping eye contact.  
  
"Hermione?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'd like to kiss you, again," he said in a low voice.  
  
"I'd like that," she replied.  
  
With a smile, he lowered his head and met her lips. As soon as they began to kiss, pain shot through Draco. He jerked back, putting his hands to the sides of his head. The pain intensified and he passed out.  
  
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My shout outs: (hey.I just learned that!)  
  
~Rebecca: Yes! You're reviews are always uplifting. I hope that you enjoyed the long awaited moment in this long awaited chapter. They may have passed one hurdle, but they must pass many more.  
  
~lilpinkbunny: Well, they did-now we'll see what happens next.  
  
~SophieBabe: Yes, my cliffie was bad. Heehee-hope you liked this cliffie too.  
  
~DaNcInGqUeEn17: I hope this chapter was worth waiting for.  
  
~Fiery-chan: Was it a heated enough moment?  
  
~Kiyoko: Hope you liked this new chapter.  
  
~Misty: Hope it was good enough-the kiss that is.  
  
~CrystallineLily: Hope this chapter was better. Sorry it took so long to update.  
  
~Glenda the Owl: Thank you for your praise. And I always worry about the amount of time I have between posts.  
  
~draconas: I hope this installment was good.  
  
~CatalinaRose: A Lav/Dr story could happen--*glares*--We'll have to see if he continues to break my heart, won't we? Anyway, thank you for being such a loyal reader/reviewer. And now, such a great friend. Oh, Lav still owes you chocolate frogs and butterbeers. But, well, life's been a bit-hectic? Ttul.  
  
~Cedric Diggory: WOW! People talk about my story on a yahoo group? I feel special. Which group? I want to know. I'm glad you like my story. I work hard to make it believable and to move it at the right pace.  
  
~Bess: Well, things are beginning to move. Hope you liked it.  
  
~Copper Fire: YYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS, I can. Hope you liked the new chapter.  
  
~Riverchic1998: I hope you liked this chapter.  
  
~Felicity: I updated. See? *points above* You just read it. *grins* Hope you liked it.  
  
~Snow White: And-now you know. *smiles* I thought my way of keeping him from being expelled WAS a rather brilliant move on my part. *grin*  
  
~OneTurnOuttaTune: Well, my evil cliffie will teach you to not stay away so long. *grins* Hope you liked my new cliffie.  
  
~someone who didn't put their name: WHY DIDN'T YOU PUT YOUR NAME? I hope you didn't die before this new chapter. Hope you liked it.  
  
~SnapesMistress2002: You know-why are you up at 3am? Are you whacked or something? And, you know-jump on a needle filled mattress-k? LOVE YOU! Maybe you'll get to haunt Draco and Lav soon! _I_ for one hope so. And, yes, I still give him permission to haunt you! So THERE. Oh, yeah! Thank you for reading my story and liking it. You're cool. 


	20. The Orb

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world, though I wouldn't mind owning Draco.  
  
Summary (Chps. 1-18) A two-week sailing trip has been planned in April. To prepare, the students are taking a sailing class taught by Dr. Branefeld and a regular Hogwarts teacher. Fifth year Slytherins and Gryffindors are paired, with Professor Sinistra as their instructor. Draco and Hermione are to be partners and navigators for their class. They each begin to experience feelings for each other, but fight it. During a moment of unguarded passion at the Astronomy Tower, Ron and Harry burst in. Harry and Ron hex Draco. Draco performs the Cruciatus Curse on Ron. Hermione and Harry tell Dumbledore what happened. Dumbledore talks with Draco. Draco tells about the horrible stuff he dealt with over the summer. Detentions have been served-Draco's to last until December. In the library, Draco tells Hermione about his father and the horrible stuff he dealt with over the summer, much tears. They attempt to kiss twice, both times ending with Draco in pain.  
  
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Chapter 19: The Orb  
  
Hermione gasped as Draco jerked back. She watched him clasp his head, squeezing his eyes tightly shut, and then fall, unconscious, to the ground. For a long moment, she stared. Then she flew into action.  
  
"Draco!" she screamed, rushing to his side. His face, pale and cold, looked like death. She grabbed his shoulder and gave him a gentle shake, calling his name. He moaned and slowly opened his eyes.  
  
"Wh-what happened?" he spoke in a groggy voice.  
  
"I-I don't know. You passed out." She looked at him carefully, and helped him to sit up. "We should get you to Madam Pomfrey."  
  
He gave a weak nod and moved to stand up, almost stumbling again. "I- I think I'm gonna need some help," he said in a near whisper.  
  
Hermione gave a nod and helped him to his feet, pulling his arm around her shoulder as she did so. She pulled her own bag off the ground, tossing the Cloak in it first. Slowly the two made their way to the infirmary.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
Hermione sank onto the bench at the Gryffindor table the next morning, eyes bloodshot from tears and lack of sleep. She stared at her empty plate for a few long moments, her mind still in the library, mulling over all that Draco had told her.  
  
"Herm? You okay?" Ron asked as he stuffed a forkful of waffles into his mouth. He gave a worried look at Harry when Hermione didn't answer.  
  
Harry reached a hand over and placed it on Hermione's arm; she jumped.  
  
"Oh! Sorry, did you say something?" She looked back and forth between the two boys.  
  
"Ron asked if you were okay. You're not looking too well this morning," he said, worry evident in his voice.  
  
"I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all."  
  
Harry gave her an unconvinced nod. "Did you find what you were looking for last night?"  
  
Hermione felt the blood rush to her face and lowered her head a bit. "No. I didn't. I-I suppose I'll have to go back again."  
  
"Harry and I'd be happy to go help you, Herm. Wouldn't we, Harry?" Ron gulped down some pumpkin juice.  
  
"Yeah, we would."  
  
Hermione gave a sharp shake of her head. "No. I'll manage." She abruptly stood. "I'm gonna go to the library." She shouldered her bag and turned to leave.  
  
"Herm, we have Transfiguration-" Ron began.  
  
"I know. I'll be there." She quickly stepped from the table and flew from the Great Hall and to the Infirmary. Once she reached the door, she paused. She couldn't figure out why she'd come here. Draco may have confided in her last night, but she was afraid of how he might react to her this morning. Taking deep breath, she pushed the doors open and walked in.  
  
"Ms. Granger. I assume you are here to check on Mr. Malfoy?" Madam Pomfrey questioned when she saw the nervous student.  
  
Hermione gave a nod.  
  
"Well, you will be pleased to know he's fine. He left just a few moments ago." She gave Hermione a smile and walked back to her office, mumbling about finding a potion.  
  
Hermione stood uncertainly for a moment. She felt her heart sink and tried to ignore it. She didn't really care that Draco wasn't there; she tried to convince herself. She gave a heavy sigh and pushed the door back open, slowly walking towards Transfiguration.  
  
"Coming to check on me, Gr-Hermione?" Draco, leaning nonchalantly against wall, watched her with a guarded expression.  
  
Hermione halted in her tracks and looked at him. "Why would I do that?"  
  
He pushed himself off the wall and stepped closer to her. "I don't know, why would you?" he asked, his voice laced with tension.  
  
Her eyes flickered over his shoulder and then looked back at him, connecting with his eyes. "Would it be a bad thing for me to be concerned about you? To want to check on you?" she asked, holding her breath slightly as she waited for his answer.  
  
He stepped closer to her and found himself pushing a hand into her hair, softly he answered her, "No, it's not a bad thing."  
  
She released her breath and swallowed as tingles raced down to her toes as he gently leaned in closer to her. His eyes bore into hers, silently asking; silently her eyes gave him the answer he was seeking, her hand reaching up and cupping his cheek. He moved closer to her, his lips a hairbreadth from hers. Her heart beat furiously in her chest as she waited with anticipation for the feel of his lips on hers again.  
  
"Hermione?" A female voice interrupted the moment. As quickly as Draco had approached her, he stepped back. Hermione's head snapped and looked into Ginny's shocked eyes.  
  
"Ginny! It's-what are you doing here?"  
  
Ginny looked between the two and spoke in a slightly quavering voice. "I was heading to my potions class. Is-is everything okay here?" She glanced at Draco again before looking back at Hermione, questions dancing in her eyes. The three stood in an uncomfortable silence.  
  
Hermione looked over at Draco to see that his face and eyes were masked with his typical indifference. A sneer crossed his features and he opened his mouth to answer Ginny. Quickly, Hermione jumped in.  
  
"Yes. Everything's fine. I was just on my way to Transfiguration and you better not be late to Potions, Ginny. Snape will take points." Before Ginny had time to answer, Hermione adjusted her bag, spun on her heel and moved down the hall towards Transfiguration. Draco watched her go, smirked at Ginny and left for his class, leaving a very confused Ginny standing in the hallway.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
Hermione sunk into the couch before the fire at the end of the day. She gave a heavy sigh. Images of Draco kept flashing in her mind. She had felt him watching her during Care of Magical Creatures and Potions. It took all her strength to not turn to look at him. Having Harry and Ron next to her during class had been a help, though the two of them had relentlessly tried to find out what was wrong with her.  
  
She masterfully sidestepped their questions each time, but the effort had left her exhausted. Fortunately Harry had Quidditch practice until 5:30 and Ron had gone to watch; she could be alone with her thoughts. But her thoughts kept betraying her. She didn't want to think about Draco, it was too confusing. With a frustrated sigh, she stood and headed up to her dorm.  
  
She breathed a sigh of relief when she entered and found the room empty. She walked over to her bedside table and pulled out the hydrophanous orb, sat cross-legged on her bed and held the cool orb in her hands, staring at it. The subtle shifting black was mesmerizing, and she focused on it, helping her to put Draco from her mind. As she continued to gaze at the orb, she felt herself begin to drift. The room became hazy; she saw herself from a distance sitting on the bed, the orb held in her hands. A misty haze descended upon the seated Hermione.  
  
The walls of the room were replaced by steep hills; the beds morphed into palm trees and dense foliage. No longer did she see herself sitting on the bed. She turned her head, her mouth gaping as she looked about her. It looked like she was on the Island of Malnese. She was standing at the top of the white sandy beach where Captain Solstine had found his wife. Cautiously she took a step forward, the beach wavered in her vision, and disappeared.  
  
Her eyes popped open and she found herself lying on her back on the bed, the orb floating above her. As she looked at it, it fell heavily next to her head. She turned her head, eyes wide and stared at the orb. Swallowing hard, she quickly pushed herself up and away from it. She continued to eye the ball warily before grabbing it quickly and dropping it into her bedside table.  
  
"Herm? You okay?"  
  
She turned her head to see a concerned Lavender looking at her, brow furrowed.  
  
"Um-yeah, I'm fine. I was just-just taking a nap. Why?" She pushed herself up as she spoke, but quickly fell back as her head spun wildly.  
  
"You don't look okay. Let's get you to the infirmary."  
  
She pushed herself up again, fighting to keep from collapsing again as her head tilted the room. "No, Lav, I'm fine. Really. Just trying to wake up all the way."  
  
Lavender shrugged. "Okay, if you say so. I was just heading down for dinner, you want to join me?"  
  
"Dinner's not for another hour, Lav." Hermione said, putting a hand to her head in an effort to make the room right itself.  
  
"Herm, it's 5:50! Are you sure you're okay?" Lavender examined Hermione's face with searching eyes.  
  
She forced herself to ignore the spinning and stood, pulling strength from inside, her hand gripping the bedside table. "I'm fine. But how can it be 5:50. I only came up here a few minutes ago, at 4:30. It can't be 5:50."  
  
"You obviously lost track of time while you slept," Lavender said, shaking her head. "Anyway, let's head down to dinner. I'm hungry," she said, turning and heading towards the door.  
  
Hermione felt confused, but followed after Lavender, still trying to make the room stop spinning. She reached the top of the stairs and began to walk down them. It was too much for her head; she stumbled and fell down the stone steps, landing with a thud at the bottom.  
  
"Hermione!" Lavender shrieked, racing to the bottom of the stairs. She reached Hermione's side and gripped her shoulder, giving her a shake. "Herm? Come on, wake up!"  
  
"Lavender? What happened?"  
  
She stood as Harry, followed closely by Ron, quickly descended the stairs.  
  
"I'm not sure. She looked a little pale upstairs, but you know Hermione, she wouldn't admit it. We were going to head out for dinner, and she fell down the stairs."  
  
Harry kneeled by Hermione and scooped his unconscious friend into his arms. "Guess dinner will have to wait, Ron. Let's get her to Madam Pomfrey."  
  
The two boys, trailed by Lavender, hurried through the corridors to the infirmary. They halted when an unwelcome drawl issued from behind them.  
  
"Well, well, it looks like the mighty Potter and has managed to once again bring harm to his friend. It never ceases to amaze."  
  
Harry turned, cradling the limp girl in his arms. "What do you want, Malfoy?"  
  
Draco raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe I said I wanted anything." He tilted his head towards Hermione. "Just curious as to what failed plot caused Granger to become unconscious."  
  
Harry glanced at Ron and Lavender. "Do I sense concern in your voice, Malfoy? Or are you simply afraid that you'll fail Sailing without Hermione to guarantee you your passing grade?"  
  
Draco advanced on Harry. "Don't assume you know me or anything about me, Potter." He glanced down at Hermione. "You should probably get her to the infirmary, then. After all, if you were without her, you might not survive this next year," he scoffed, turning on his heel and storming off to the Great Hall.  
  
Ron watched Draco disappear and turned to look at Harry. "What the bloody hell was that all about?"  
  
Harry gave a shrug and resumed his walk to the infirmary. "I have no clue."  
  
The three students finished their trek in silence.  
  
"Oh dear, not again. What has happened this time?" Madam Pomfrey asked, as the two entered.  
  
"She fell down the stairs, Madam Pomfrey," Lavender said.  
  
"Dear me, Ms. Granger and stairs." She shook her head. "Well, put her over there." She gestured to a nearby cot.  
  
Harry quickly followed instructions and was joined by Ron and Lavender at the cot. The three stood awkwardly as Madam Pomfrey began her ministrations. Hermione fall caused a broken rib and a bump on her head, both of which Madam Pomfrey healed quickly. When she attempted to awaken Hermione, a fleeting look of worry crossed her features. She turned to the students and dismissed them, telling them that Hermione would need some time and that she would contact them when Hermione was able to have visitors. She brushed off the anticipated questions and ushered the three from the infirmary before contacting Dumbledore.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
"Albus, I just don't know what to make of it. She appears to be perfectly fine, but nothing I do will wake her."  
  
"And you are positive she's not in a coma, Poppy?"  
  
"Yes, completely positive. Her heartbeat is regular, her brainwaves functioning perfectly, all vital systems are doing their job, she just won't wake up." Poppy nervously wrung her hands as she looked over at the unconscious Hermione. Never in all her years as the Headnurse at Hogwarts had she been unable to solve a medical problem.  
  
Albus gave a heavy sigh and reached a tender hand over to place it on Hermione's forehead. "Dear child." He watched her for a few moments and then turned to look back at Poppy. "Call me immediately when she awakens. I will be in my office." He reached a hand over and gave Poppy's hands a gentle squeeze. "Don't fret so much. She will be fine. You've never failed yet, Poppy. I have no worries that you will this time around."  
  
Poppy gave him a grateful smile and watched him as he left the infirmary before she practically ran back to her office to hunt once more through all her medical books.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
She heard a voice. She couldn't tell where it came from, or whose it was, but she heard it. The words were unintelligible. She furrowed her brow a bit as she tried to focus; the whispered words became clear.  
  
"Hermione, come on, wake up. You can't expect to get out of our homework just because you're not feeling well."  
  
She took a deep breath as she recognized the voice and turned her head, her eyes opening and trying to focus on a fuzzy form. Swallowing, she opened her mouth to speak, a raspy voice issued from her.  
  
"Draco, is that you?"  
  
A warm hand enveloped hers and a face loomed above her. "Yes, Hermione, it is. It is good to see you awake."  
  
"Awake? Wh-what time is it?" Her eyes still tried to focus.  
  
"It is two-thirty in the morning; Monday morning. You've been here since Thursday evening." He brushed her hair back from her face.  
  
She blinked a few times, his face finally coming into focus. "I've been here since when?"  
  
"Since Thursday."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't know. I knew you had been brought here; I ran into Potter and Weasley and some girl who were bringing you here. That's all I know."  
  
She furrowed her brow a bit. "And, how come you are here?"  
  
He cleared his throat a bit, and his voice lowered a little more, his hand tightening his grip on hers. "I-I've been here every night, for an hour. I sneak in, after Pomfrey goes to sleep."  
  
She tried to push herself up into a sitting position, but the room tilted and she collapsed quickly.  
  
"Hermione, don't! I-I should probably go wake Pomfrey?"  
  
She gripped his hand tighter and looked at him. "No. Please, not yet."  
  
He gave a nod and the two sat in silence.  
  
In a quiet voice, Hermione finally spoke. "Draco, what is," she swallowed hard, "what is going on? With us? I mean-" her voice trailed off.  
  
Draco sat looking at her for a few long moments in thought. He wasn't sure why he was there, or what he wanted from her. He just knew, somehow, that he needed her. He could see himself falling in love with her, though it made no sense to him. She intrigued him. He found himself moving from his chair to the edge of the bed, his fingers lacing through hers. He opened his mouth, deciding to tell her what he was thinking.  
  
"Hermione, the last month has been-confusing-for me. I've hated you for so long, and I-"  
  
"Get away from her, Malfoy!" Harry appeared, with a seething Ron, next to Hermione's bed, the Cloak held in Harry's hand.  
  
Draco jerked his head to the side, his eyes automatically narrowing as he saw Harry and Ron. His hand gripped Hermione's tighter.  
  
"What the-"  
  
Before he could continue, Hermione interrupted in a quiet voice. "Harry, Ron, I want him here." She gave Draco's hand a squeeze, causing him to look back at her, surprise on his face. She continued to keep her gaze on Harry and Ron.  
  
Confusion crossed Harry's face, Ron's face turning to a deep shade of red. Their mouths gaped, neither knowing what to say.  
  
In her quiet voice, she continued. "I appreciate the concern you two have for me. You two are, and always will be, my best friends, but I would ask that you leave for now. I want Draco to be here." She looked both of them in the eyes after she finished speaking.  
  
Harry took a step towards her. "Herm? Are you," he glanced at Draco, who was still staring at Hermione, "sure? He's not bothering you?"  
  
A small smile graced her lips. "Harry, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Now, would you and Ron please leave for now? I will see you two tomorrow and we will talk, okay?"  
  
Harry's gaze shifted from her to Draco and back a few times before he gave a hesitant nod. "If that's what you want, Herm, okay." He turned to Ron, who looked about ready to spit some hexes at Draco, grabbed him, and walked out of the infirmary.  
  
Hermione watched until the two of them left and then turned to look up into Draco's eyes. Hesitantly she reached her other hand up to gently touch his face. She opened her mouth to speak, but found she had no idea what to say, so she closed her mouth quickly.  
  
Draco gave a small smile and reached his free hand up to cup over hers. "Did you mean it?"  
  
"Did I mean what?"  
  
"Did you mean it when you said you wanted me to be here?" His voice cracked the slightest bit as he spoke.  
  
She gave a nod.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Honestly? I don't really know. I just know that I don't want you to leave yet." She swallowed a bit as he continued to gaze into her eyes.  
  
"I think I understand, Hermione," he whispered.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy? What are you doing out of your dorm at this hour of night?" Madam Pomfrey's voice echoed through the quiet room. She quickly moved over to the cot and looked down at Hermione. "I see you are finally awake, Miss. You have had me quite worried. Now, Mr. Malfoy, why don't you head off to your room. You may come and visit Ms. Granger during regular visiting hours." She immediately pushed Draco from the bed and began to check Hermione over before either student could say a word.  
  
Draco watched Hermione in silence for a few moments and then, with great reluctance, left the infirmary, Hermione's eyes following him as he left.  
  
_____________________________________________________________  
  
I know I have promised this before, but things should pick up a bit pacewise. And, though I say this few times in my shout outs, the whole Draco being in pain thing? BLAME THE MAN WHO I MARRIED!! He came up with, he claims FULL responsibility for it. So, now you've read, please REVIEW. And, if you are NOT on my mailing list for chapter updates, let me know and I will put you on.  
  
MoonTrail  
  
~Misty: CONGRATULATIONS TO MY 200th REVIEWER!!! I feel loved. And, for your prize-well, Chocolate Frogs and Buttebeers are always a good choice-so here's to you. I hope my new chapter was worth the wait. It has been a battle through writer's block to get this one up and well written. As far as the kiss goes? Well, there is a problem-just hold on. It will come out in the next few chapters.  
  
~Christine: What happened, and will happen to Draco is ALL my husband's fault entirely. You may blame him.  
  
~yuuyaku: Thank you so much for your kind review. I have worked hard to make my story well written and have paid much attention to detail to keep both plot and character development as realistic as is possible.  
  
~QiNg: I thought it was VERY Draco to ask for another kiss, as well. My plot has taken a difficult turn in events. I hope you will enjoy the twist. I hope I will be able to tackle the twist. It is becoming complex, but that's what makes it all the more fun.  
  
~erica: Wow, you're review was very nice. I am glad you enjoy my story so much. I hope that I can continue to live up to your expectations.  
  
~SnapesMistress2002: MUFASA!! So, I'm glad you are enjoying my story. I don't know which Draco I like more, mine or MINE! You figure out which is which, cuz I don't know. But at least I get to kiss MINE!  
  
~Margot: No worries, my dear. I have NO plans on starting another story until this is done. It's getting more complex by the minute, so how could I, in good faith, begin another? Poems? Yes. Story? No. This particular hurdle, well, it may take a while. As I said earlier up above, IT IS NOT MY FAULT ALL BLAME IS ON MY HUSBAND.  
  
~HouAreYouToday: One of my BIGGEST fears is the pacing. I mean, 19 chapters and we are only on the 23 of October? Yikes! However, I am pleased that you like the pacing. Draco is a REALLY tough character to write and I am glad that you find that he is in character. The sailing is REALLY what I am looking forward to as well, but it may take a number of chapters before we hit the ocean. Although you can be looking forward to the two man sailing boats coming up soon. It should be fun.  
  
~CrazyCat: Thank you!! I hope that Hermione and Draco will do well, also.  
  
~Glenda the owl: It is really a challenge sometimes to get the amount of words up that I do, but I don't want to cheat my readers. Thank you for being a faithful reviewer.  
  
~draconas: I'm glad they made up, too. As far as what is happening to Draco? Well, that's for me to know and for Draco and Hermione to find out- thus letting all of you find out as well.  
  
~CatalinaRose: You let something get in the way of reading and reviewing MY story? I'm hurt. I'm gonna set Draco on you! *glares* Well, I guess he'd never hurt his Hananana, would he? *grins* Anyway, hey *points up* Look! They're in the infirmary! Hehe-don't tell MY Draco that my Draco was in there. He might freak out.  
  
~MidnightSun: EEP! Sorry about the whole sobbing Draco thing. He just really lost it. It will never happen again, unless he decides to do so. And, yes, evil cliffie. I like those!  
  
~LadyMione: A Lavender/Draco story? Hmmm-I don't know. Never quite pictured those two together. *grins* I'm humbled by your review. Thank you for the wonderful praise! Sorry for the LONG wait, but, well-Draco's been getting in the way! And, truly, writer's block is a curse! See ya around.  
  
~Princess Ruby: Thank you for your review. Hope that test went well. I hope to update the next chapter a bit sooner than this last one took, but we will see.  
  
~elijahsbaby1981: Well, I can't tell you what is happening to poor Draco, cuz that would ruin it. Just trust me. It will be good.  
  
~Mistress Desdemona: You may be closer to the truth than you realize. Keep tuned in.  
  
~tom felton's babe: I'm glad you like. And, sorry to disappoint, but Lucius may very possibly show up. No promises, or anything, but it is a possibility.  
  
~Adelaine: A good story takes so long to update, because, well, that's what makes it good. Lots of hard work by the writer.  
  
~Mara-Potter: Just curious, is Mara like Mara Jade from Star Wars? Just wondering. I'm glad that you are scared about what is happening to Draco. You should be. It's not a happy thing in the least.  
  
~whimsical_nymph: I have broken into tears as I have written much of the stuff in this story. I'm glad you have been touched by it as well. I hope that you will bear with the problems Draco and Hermione must face before the end of this story. It will be good, I promise.  
  
~CedricDiggory: Do I have your email? Cuz I send out an email to all when I update. Sorry for the wait, but I really struggled with this chapter. I hope you will continue to read and enjoy. I do feel very special that you are so excited about my story.  
  
~CrystallineLily: *sighs* Because, if something didn't go wrong everytime, there wouldn't be much angst, would there? *grins*  
  
~Fiery-chan: Well, I didn't update REALLY soon, but at least I have updated. I hope it was another chapter worth waiting for.  
  
~Rebecca: Thank you for acknowledging my spelling and grammar. I work hard to make sure I post my best proofread work. Yes, I do have much up my sleeve, and *looks up sleeve* there is much more up there. Hold on, the ride is going to get a little tougher before it gets better.  
  
~SophieBabe: Yes, cliffies are not fun. I'm HORRIBLE! But, it keeps you coming back, right? Well, Lucius will become even worse, so keep your eyes open for it.  
  
~Sage of Darkness: I hope this one was worth the wait. Much more is going to happen before the two of them will experience any happiness together. Just hold on, it will get wonderful after it gets worse.  
  
~Rachel: Well, this was not soon, but hopefully you enjoyed it. The strange passing out thing will be explained in a few chapters. Watch for it.  
  
~Kiyoko: As I written above, things will not be easy for these two. Something is wrong and will need to be solved. The solution will be painful, but worth it.  
  
~Felicity: Thank you.  
  
~Akuma Kanada no Tenchi: I hope your Drama competition went well! And I hope this chapter was worth the wait as well.  
  
~Joan: Well, it may be a few more chapters, but when it happens-it will be well worth the wait.  
  
~zoogerbas1: Draco is feeling pain because---and you thought I'd tell you? You'll have to read to find out. It will come out in the next few chapters, that I can promise. As for the solution? Well, that will take much more time. 


	21. More Confessions

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world, though I wouldn't mind owning Draco.  
  
Summary (Chps. 1-19) A two-week sailing trip has been planned in April. To prepare, the students are taking a sailing class taught by Dr. Branefeld and a regular Hogwarts teacher. Fifth year Slytherins and Gryffindors are paired, with Professor Sinistra as their instructor. Draco and Hermione are to be partners and navigators for their class. They each begin to experience feelings for each other, but fight it. During a moment of unguarded passion at the Astronomy Tower, Ron and Harry burst in. Harry and Ron hex Draco. Draco performs the Cruciatus Curse on Ron. Hermione and Harry tell Dumbledore what happened. Dumbledore talks with Draco. Draco tells about the horrible stuff he dealt with over the summer. Detentions have been served-Draco's to last until December. In the library, Draco tells Hermione about his father and the horrible stuff he dealt with over the summer, much tears. They attempt to kiss twice, both times ending with Draco in pain. Hermione ends up in the infirmary, unconscious for a numbers of days. Draco visits her.  
  
20: More Confessions  
  
"Please take a seat, Ms. Granger." Dumbledore motioned to a comfy looking armchair across from the one he sat in. Hermione settled into the chair and took an offered lemon drop from Dumbledore with a smile. "Now, Ms. Granger, I am certain you are wondering why I have asked you to meet me in my office. And I would like to apologize for the delay. I meant to speak with you the day you were released."  
  
She gave a nod of her head and nervously sucked on the lemon drop. "That's okay."  
  
"Well, my dear, there is no need to fear. You are not in any trouble. Madam Pomfrey and I are just puzzled as to why you remained unconscious for as long as you did. She was unable to discover any problem, magical or otherwise, for you condition. I simply wanted to ask if you were aware of any reason you may have been in your condition."  
  
Hermione's thoughts jumped to the hydrophanous orb. She looked down into her lap studiously looking at her hands for a few moments. Should she tell Dumbledore? He might know what the orb was and how it worked, after all he knew much more than she did. But Fred and George had sworn her to secrecy and she didn't want to break their trust. But what had happened with the orb that afternoon truly scared her. Dumbledore interrupted her thoughts.  
  
"Ms. Granger, if you do not know what happened, I would not ask you to make anything up. My office is always open. If you can think of anything, no matter how insignificant, that may have caused your condition, please do not hesitate to inform me immediately." His kind eyes captured hers as she looked up into his smiling face.  
  
She gave him a nod. "I will, Headmaster. I-I guess I'm just a bit worn out right now and can't think very straight."  
  
"Completely understandable. Are you all caught up with your studies?" He waited for her nod. "Excellent, then. You may be dismissed now." He stood and ushered her to the door. "Have a good day, Ms. Granger."  
  
Hermione exited his office and decided to spend the rest of her Saturday in the library. As she walked, she thought back over the week. It had been a bit crazy. Draco and her and talked a little each night as they completed their navigation work, but a wall had sprung up between them. She couldn't understand why and didn't know how to go about breaking it down. She hadn't spoken with Harry and Ron about Draco yet, either. She had been so swamped with makeup work, that she had been able to avoid the conversation so far.  
  
She reached the library and headed to the back to her table, sitting down and pulling a thick book out of her bag. She opened it and began to skim through it, though her mind couldn't stay on what she was reading. A heavy sigh of frustration escaped her and she slammed the book shut, shoving it across the table. The book continued on past the edge and landed with a dull thud on the floor as Hermione put her head down on the wooden surface of the table.  
  
"You should know better than to mistreat books, Hermione."  
  
Hermione didn't look up. "Hello, Draco," she said.  
  
She heard him pull out the chair next to her and sit down.  
  
"Did the great Ms. Granger finally decide she's learned enough?" he gently teased.  
  
A small laugh escaped her throat unbidden, followed by a choked sob.  
  
"Hermione, what's wrong?" He reached a hand over and gently placed it on her shoulder, giving her a squeeze.  
  
She squeezed her eyes tightly to keep back the tears, took a deep breath and finally lifted her head and looked over at him. "I don't really know."  
  
He studied her face for a few moments, then reached down and took her hand in his. "Come with me."  
  
Without waiting for her to answer him, he stood and pulled her along with him. She stumbled a bit as she stood, but followed him as he led her from the library, through the corridors and out to the grounds, past the curious stares of many students. He continued walking until they reached the far side of the lake where he sat down under a willow tree, pulling Hermione down to sit next to him.  
  
"Now, what's wrong?" He kept her hand in his and turned his head to look at her.  
  
Hermione stared out across the lake and slowly began to talk.  
  
"I'm confused, about you." She pulled her hand from his. "I don't know what to think, or what to say to you. Like you started to say in the infirmary on Monday, you've hated me since we first met. I've hated you, too. I don't know how we have gotten to the point where we are. None of it has made much sense to me. All I know is that I want to be around you and that when you're not around, I feel a sense of-of loss, almost.  
  
"And I am worried about Harry and Ron's reaction to all of this. They have been my friends since first year, and I don't want to lose their friendship, but the three of you have never gotten along in the slightest and I don't see you getting along in the future just for my sake. I'm not that naïve. And, then I have this-" Her voice trailed off as she realized she was about to tell him about the orb. She had promised, and she intended to keep that promise.  
  
Draco sat in silence after she stopped speaking trying to gather his own thoughts together. He finally reached over a hand to cup under her chin, turning her face to look at him. He spoke in a soft voice. "Hermione, I have hated you. I don't really know why I did, though I did. I know I don't hate you anymore. I'm not sure what I feel about you now, but it is most definitely not hate." His eyes bore into hers as he stopped speaking.  
  
She tried to tear her gaze from his, but it was impossible. She swallowed hard as he continued to look at her, and began to tremble the slightest bit. He abruptly pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly. For a moment, she remained stiff; then she melted against him as he embraced her.  
  
In a hesitant whisper he spoke. "I think I might be falling in love with you, Hermione. To be honest, that scares me. I've never fallen in love before. I have no reason to fall in love with you, either. But, regardless, I am. It is the only reason I can think of for why I can't stop thinking about you." He stopped and held her even tighter against him. Thoughts whirled through his mind as he held her. He couldn't figure out why he had just told her all of that. He wasn't even sure what he felt, but assumed it was love, since he'd never felt this feeling before.  
  
Hermione's eyes closed as he spoke. She felt a weight lift from her as he told her what he felt. When he stopped, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  
  
In a matching tone of voice, she answered him. "Draco, I understand, completely. I feel the same. I'm terrified of what I am feeling." She shifted a bit and looked up at him, waiting until his gray eyes were looking into her amber ones. "I know I'm falling in love with you. I think I started to fall in love with you when I slapped you back in our third year. Now I am terrified of what this will do, to you, to me, to our friends." She broke her eye contact with him as she thought about Harry and Ron. They would never understand this.  
  
Draco captured Hermione's chin with his hand as she looked away and gently forced her to look back into his eyes. "I will do my best to make this easy for you. I can't promise to become friends with Potter and Weasley, but I will try to at least be civil."  
  
She gave a slow nod and then reached up a hand to cup his cheek. "That's all I ask."  
  
He nodded and then swallowed, preparing to speak again. "Hermione, I guess-I've been-" He abruptly stood and began to pace a bit under the swaying branches of the tree. He stopped and turned to look down at her, reaching a hand out to her. She reached up and gripped it, allowing him to pull her up. He cupped her cheek with his hand and gazed for a long time into her eyes again.  
  
"Hermione, will you be my girlfriend?" His eyes darted briefly away from hers as he spoke. He couldn't make sense of why he was so unbelievably nervous, but he was. He reconnected his eyes with hers and waited for the answer.  
  
She swallowed nervously and kept her eyes locked onto his. A huge part of her wanted this in an unbelievable way, but another part of her, the logical part, was ringing warning bells loudly in her head. She tore her gaze from his and stepped back a bit, turning to look out across the lake. She could feel his eyes still on her as she stood. Her thoughts chased each other in her mind as she thought of all the good and bad that could result from this. With a final swallow, she turned and looked back at him.  
  
"Yes."  
  
A smile grew on Draco's face as she answered him. He quickly covered the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her and lowering his lips to brush gently against hers. Her arms came up around his neck and she increased the pressure of her lips on his. A groan of pain escaped his throat and he stumbled, falling back against the tree.  
  
"Draco! What is it?" Her brow furrowed.  
  
He reached his hands up to hold his head, squeezing his eyes shut, and slumped to the ground. "I-I don't know."  
  
"Is it the same pain, as in the library?" Hermione questioned, kneeling by his side, her hand brushing his hair back.  
  
He took a deep breath, trying to bite back the pain as it slowly ebbed. He gave a nod, and opened his eyes looking up into Hermione's.  
  
She studied his face and thought back to the other two times he had collapsed in pain. Her eyes widened as she made connections. She maneuvered herself into a sitting position, carefully placing Draco's head in her lap. She looked away from his face and quietly asked her question.  
  
"Draco, have you kissed other girls?"  
  
His brow furrowed a bit as she spoke and he answered her in a manner just as quiet. "Yes. Why does that matter, right now?"  
  
She kept her eyes focused on the distance. "It was just a thought. Never mind." She choked back a small sob, silently reprimanding herself. Why did it matter that he'd kissed others? She should have guessed that, at the very least, he'd kissed Pansy what with the way she hung all over him.  
  
"Hermione." He pushed himself into a sitting position and gripped her face, gently turning it to once again face him. "Yes, I have kissed others, but-Hermione, I never fell in love with any of them. Now, what are you thinking?"  
  
She reached up a hand and took his hand from her face, bringing it down to hold between both of hers. "Like I said, never mind. It was a silly idea."  
  
"Hermione, I know I've made fun of you relentlessly in the past, but I always knew that you never had a silly idea. Now, tell me."  
  
She swallowed a bit and looked carefully at him. "Well, I just was thinking. When was the first time you felt this pain?"  
  
"Last week, in the library."  
  
"You are sure that was the very first time you ever felt that pain?"  
  
"Positive."  
  
"Okay. And you experienced this pain how many times including the times in the library?"  
  
"Three."  
  
"And each of these times, Draco, what were you doing?"  
  
His eyes widened the slightest bit as he whispered, "I was kissing you."  
  
She whispered back, "Exactly."  
  
"But, what does that have to do with anything?"  
  
"Draco, I don't know. But, maybe we-we shouldn't kiss until we find out?"  
  
After a moment of hesitation, he gave a small nod. "Yeah, okay. I suppose you're probably right. So, now what?"  
  
"Well, we will have to see if we can't figure this out. But, Draco," she turned to face him, "we will both have to completely honest with each other if we are to do this." She waited for his nod. "Good. Well, let's go and do some research." She moved to stand, but Draco gripped her arm and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her.  
  
"The research can wait. Right now, I want to be with you." He gave a smile and brushed his fingers into her hair. She gave him a nod and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head against his shoulder.  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
"Where have you been all afternoon, Hermione?" Ron asked as she entered the common room that evening. "We haven't seen you since lunch."  
  
"Oh, I was in the library."  
  
"No, you weren't. We checked," Ron admonished, as his knight moved across the board to confound Harry's next move.  
  
"Well, let me finish. I was in the library, and then I went to the lake."  
  
Harry carefully watched her face. "You're leaving something out. What's going on, Herm?"  
  
She gave a shake of her head. "Nothing. You two have fun playing your game. I'm gonna head upstairs and-do some stuff." She made her way to the steps, but was stopped by a hand gripping her arm.  
  
Harry spoke in a quiet voice. "Herm, you've been avoiding this since you got out of the infirmary. You can't tell me you have any homework to do, because I know you've finished it. We don't have any exams coming up that you need to study for at this moment. Now is the time to talk."  
  
Her eyes slid closed as he spoke and she gave a quiet sigh. "I know." She turned and walked over to a couch in the corner, sinking into it as Harry and Ron each took a seat on either side of her.  
  
"Herm, what's going on with Malfoy?"  
  
She looked over at Harry and gave a short laugh. "No warming up to it? Just tell you, right off the top?"  
  
"I figured it was the best idea."  
  
"Herm, look, I promise to keep my cool, okay?" Ron said, giving her arm a squeeze.  
  
She looked over at him and gave a curt nod. "I hope you'll say the same after what I tell you, Ron. I know how you are about-about Draco."  
  
"Well, then, we're waiting," he replied.  
  
Hermione took a deep breath and looked across the room as the two boys shared a look and then focused on her.  
  
"Okay, it's like this. At the beginning of the year, I was mortified when Sinistra paired me with Draco, you remember that. Well, I don't exactly know when it happened, but I began to not find him so annoying."  
  
Ron snorted a laugh. "Malfoy, not annoying?"  
  
Hermione leveled a glare at him. "Do you want me to tell you or shall I head up to my room?"  
  
"Herm, please, continue," Harry encouraged, giving Ron a look.  
  
"No more interruptions. This is hard enough as it is." She looked at both boys and waited for their nods before continuing. "Well, as I said, he's not as annoying as I thought. That night I borrowed your Cloak, Harry, Draco found me in the library. He'd come in there to look for more info about the ship as well. We decided to help each other, and found that book I told you about. We were looking through it, when we heard Mrs. Norris." She paused a took a deep breath, steeling herself to tell him the next part.  
  
"I threw the Cloak around me without thinking. Draco ended up under the cloak with me and we managed to escape from Filch." She looked over at Draco, her eyes pleading. "I'm so sorry. He knows you have and Invisibility Cloak. He swears he won't say a word to anyone."  
  
Harry looked at her for a moment and then turned his gaze to look at the fire across the room. "Go on."  
  
She took another deep breath and continued. "Well, we fought, and I left to come back here. I was at the portrait when I pulled out the Map again and noticed that Draco hadn't gone to his room. He was in a classroom. For some reason, I went to the room. We talked, he made a comment, I slapped him and then left. That's when I stepped through the false step.  
  
"When I awoke in the infirmary, I remembered I had left your Cloak in the classroom. I got up to go and get it, but Draco was there. He had brought it back. We talked a little that night before he left. Then we had another fight, I suppose you could call it. That's when we were given the navigation assignment.  
  
"You guys remember that star necklace I had gotten for my birthday?" The boys both said they did. "The night that Draco-cursed-you, Ron I think that he was about to tell me that he got it for me, when, well, when you two showed up. And then, well you guys know what happened. I ignored him pretty much after that. Until the night I went to the library last week with the Cloak again.  
  
"He showed up and well, I kissed him."  
  
Ron bolted from the couch and turned to face her, his face deep red. "You what?" he bellowed. "Hermione! No wonder you're acting so strange. He must have hexed you or-" Harry grabbed him and forced him to sit.  
  
"Ron! We promised to hear her out. Now, sit down and shut up!" He waited for Ron to give a nod and then sat back down. "Herm, please, continue."  
  
She gave Harry a grateful smile and picked up her monologue. "We talked that night; for a long time. Most of the night, actually. We talked some more today and he asked me to be his girlfriend." She stopped talking, leaned back against the couch and waited.  
  
Harry was the first to break the silence. "Herm, did you say girlfriend?"  
  
She gave a nod.  
  
"And what did you tell him?"  
  
"I said yes," she whispered.  
  
"Well, that proves it, then!" Ron rose his voice. "Come on Harry, let's go take care of that prat this second. He's obviously done something to Hermione." He was already halfway to the door as he finished speaking, Hermione right behind him. She grabbed his arm.  
  
"Ron! He did nothing to me. I want to be with him."  
  
Ron stared at her in disbelief. "You what?"  
  
Hermione stood as tall as possible and looked Ron in the eye. "I want to be with him."  
  
Ron shook his head in disbelief, glared at Hermione, and left the common room. Hermione turned to look at Harry. He was standing by the couch. Hermione slowly walked back over to him.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"Hermione, if this is what you want, I can't say anything. I'm gonna go practice for Quidditch." Harry stepped around her and left. Hermione stood alone, staring at the fire.  
  
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~Misty: So sorry for the delay. I'm trying to keep moving. And here are your chocolate frogs. *hands them over* ENJOY!  
  
~asd: You will have to wait to find out about the orb. I hope you enjoyed Harry and Ron's response to Hermione and her explanation.  
  
~hedwig7up: I am sorry you didn't like the last chapter. I hope this one will please you. And I am honored to be in your list of best ever fanfics.  
  
~Rebecca: Again, I am grateful for your wonderful review. You have no idea how reviews like yours keep me going. I am honored that you have taken a quote from my story and written it done. Hope this new chapter continued to meet you standards.  
  
~CedricDiggory: Thank you! And I am glad I got you in my email. I try to keep up and I am glad I did. Sorry for the wait. I hope to not take as much time before the next chapter.  
  
~wellduh.: GREAT NAME! You're idea about the orb is interesting. I'm still working on how the orb works, so if your idea makes it in, I'll acknowledge ya. I work hard to keep the sappiness to the bare minimum. I can't promise to never do it, but I will try not to. I am also glad that you noticed the way I ended the two viewpoints in chapter 11. I worked hard to make it work that way. And you are right-poor Ginny! The pace is trying to pick up, I promise. I just don't want to rush things. And, now that they are together, you will see more of them building their relationship. They are not out of the water yet, so to speak.  
  
~E: What do I win???? You didn't say! And thanks!  
  
~CatalinaRose: *does the Ice Man sniff* I know it's good. And my gosh yes! Draco is never afraid of the infirmary in my story. I don't get it. Maybe I should take care of the being out of the dorms after 8? NAW-the funnest stuff happens after 8 anyway. OH YEAH-my chapter! Well, Herm passed out because-hehe-not saying! Not yet, anyway. And boy am I glad that Lav and Draco made up! This last three weeks were tortourous! And, what do you make of that new guy, Ethan? My gosh! Could he BE anymore awful?  
  
~draconas: Thanks! I enjoyed writing the scene in the hall. Hope you liked this new chapter.  
  
~SophieBabe: Thank you very very very very very very very very very much!  
  
~Roseadra: I didn't know that I had my characters nod so much. I will watch that. Thanks for you praise. It was wonderfully uplifting.  
  
~Margot: Thanks. Okay, question #1: all about the kissing will be revealed in the next few chapters. #2: I researched on the internet about the navigation equipment. Okay, hope you liked this new chapter.  
  
~Glenda the owl: *huge grin*  
  
~me: LOOK! *points up* I updated!  
  
~SugarGirl: You are the bestest friend! Thank you SOOOO much for reading my story. I can't tell you how hard it has been to hold the reins back. But, it makes for a better, more realistic story. I hope you don't stress out too much! And YES-Rainforest SOON. See ya, chick! 


	22. Gryffindor vs Slytherin

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything in his really cool world, though I wouldn't mind owning Draco.  
  
Summary (Chps. 1-20) A two-week sailing trip has been planned in April. To prepare, the students are taking a sailing class taught by Dr. Branefeld and a regular Hogwarts teacher. Fifth year Slytherins and Gryffindors are paired, with Professor Sinistra as their instructor. Draco and Hermione are to be partners and navigators for their class. They each begin to experience feelings for each other, but fight it. During a moment of unguarded passion at the Astronomy Tower, Ron and Harry burst in. Harry and Ron hex Draco. Draco performs the Cruciatus Curse on Ron. Hermione and Harry tell Dumbledore what happened. Dumbledore talks with Draco. Draco tells about the horrible stuff he dealt with over the summer. Detentions have been served-Draco's to last until December. In the library, Draco tells Hermione about his father and the horrible stuff he dealt with over the summer, much tears. They attempt to kiss twice, both times ending with Draco in pain. Hermione ends up in the infirmary, unconscious for a numbers of days. Draco visits her. After leaving the infirmary, Draco asks Hermione to be his girlfriend. She says yes and Harry and Ron aren't happy.  
  
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Chapter 21: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin  
  
A ray of light broke through the dark cloud cover the first weekend of November illuminating the Slytherin and Gryffindor Quidditch teams on the Pitch. Madam Hooch blew the whistle and the crowded stands erupted into cheers for their favored team. Hermione watched as Draco, followed closely by Harry, swept high up above the stands, eyes searching for a glint of gold. A smile crossed her lips as she noted the natural grace with which Draco swooped about.  
  
"And they are off!" Lee's voice interrupted her thoughts as her eyes flickered to the center of the Pitch just as Alicia snatched the Quaffle. "The lovely Alicia speeds with reckless grace towards the end of the pitch. Oh, watch out! The slimy git Bole-sorry Professor-I mean, the amazing Bole smashes a bludger, sending it flying towards Alicia!"  
  
The Gryffindors held a collective gasp as the bludger sped towards her head, releasing it as one when George and Fred simultaneously smashed the bludger towards the Slytherin chasers.  
  
"Did you get a load of that move? A perfect execution of the Dopplebeater Defense, by none other than the amazing Weasley twins!"  
  
High above the Pitch, Harry and Draco hovered on their brooms, each scanning the Pitch for the glint of gold; each doing their best to completely ignore the other. Harry whooped when Alicia tossed the Quaffle through the center goal, Bletchley missing it by a narrow margin, causing Draco to glare at Harry briefly.  
  
"She may have gotten a goal, Potter, but this time, you won't be the one getting the Snitch."  
  
Harry looked over at Draco as he spoke, letting a heavy sigh escape his lips. "Malfoy, I really don't care to hear your snide remarks."  
  
A sneer rose to his lips. "And I really don't care to be up here with you."  
  
Harry opened his mouth to reply when he snapped it shut, seeing the snitch a few feet behind Draco. Without hesitation he leaned forward on his broom and sped quickly past Draco, his eyes never leaving the golden blur. Immediately, Draco followed in pursuit. Harry dove in a barrel roll as the Snitch swooped towards the ground.  
  
"It looks like Harry has seen the Snitch already! With his incredible skill, this game could be over any moment!"  
  
Hermione's eyes found Harry and Draco as Lee spoke. She felt torn, watching them. She knew how badly Draco wanted to catch the Snitch. Not that he hadn't caught it many times playing Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, but she knew that he wanted to finally catch it when playing against Harry. He'd lamented a few times about just that over the last few days.  
  
The two boys sped side by side, each jockeying for the front position. Harry's fingers, centimeters from touching the Snitch were shoved roughly out of the way as Draco pushed ahead a bit.  
  
Draco strained to grab the elusive prey, his fingertips brushing against it just as the Snitch zagged to the left and zipped up at a ninety-degree angle.  
  
Harry pulled his broom handle hard, attempting to follow the crazed path of the Snitch. He sped silently for a matter of moments, hearing the grunt of Draco behind him, straining to increase the speed of his own broom. Harry's eyes swept the area in front of him, to no avail; the Snitch was gone.  
  
"And the Snitch has once again been lost. None too soon as Flint has grabbed the Quaffle and is speeding towards the Gryffindor goal. Here comes Bell, swooping from the left. She reaches for the Quaffle and Flint completes a reverse pass to Montague; Montague to Warrington; Warrington to Flint."  
  
The crowd rose to their feet, Gryffindors screaming for Katie to intercept; Slytherins wildly cheering Flint on as he pulled his broom handle hard, the Quaffle protected by his side. Katie, flanked by Angelina and Alicia, sped after him.  
  
Alicia darted ahead, her hand reaching to bat the Quaffle from the crook of Flint's arm, just as he stopped and tossed the Quaffle past her and the Gryffindor Chasers to the waiting hands of Warrington.  
  
"And the slimy Slytherins-I mean, of course, the spectacular Slytherins," Lee corrected after a withering glare from Snape and a warning arch of the brow from McGonagall, "have pulled off a perfect Porskoff Ploy! Warrington has the Quaffle and speeds to the goal."  
  
Fred took the situation in as a Bludger came within his range. With a hard smash of his bat, he aimed the Bludger for Warrington, watching with anticipation for the ball to knock the Chaser from his broom.  
  
As the Bludger sped quickly towards Warrington, Bole came from the right and smashed it away, just in time for Warrington to heft the Quaffle through the left goal post, Dean swooping down to block a moment too late.  
  
"And Slytherins score! The game is now tied, ten to ten."  
  
A deafening roar came from the left side of the Pitch as the Slytherins applauded and cheered their Chasers onward.  
  
The Quaffle was back in play. Katie, dodging both Bludgers, scored, her score being quickly followed by another one from Alicia.  
  
" And the Gryffindors, leading thirty to ten again have possession of the Quaffle! Flint looks madder than an annoyed manticore and his Chasers sweep into a what looks suspiciously like the Parkin's Pincer!"  
  
As the words left Lee's mouth Flint and Warrington swept down to either side of Angelina, while Montague sped headlong towards her.  
  
He and Angelina closed the distance between them quickly. Only seconds from a head on collision, Angelina dove, Montague harmlessly swooping over her. With a satisfied smirk, Angelina glanced quickly over her shoulder in time to see a Bludger, aimed with precision by Derrik, flying at her. Holding tightly to the Quaffle, she gripped the broom and performed an effortless looking Sloth Grip Roll.  
  
The Bludger skimmed over the top of her broom, missing her knuckles by mere centimeters.  
  
The crowd came to its feet, the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws cheering wildly, the Slytherins booing.  
  
Katie sped by and grabbed the Quaffle as Angelina dropped it to her before up righting herself and speeding after Katie, eyes scanning for the next Bludger attack. Katie swept towards the goals, tossing the Quaffle to Alicia as Flint came swooping after her.  
  
Harry watched, cheering on his fellow teammates, Draco glaring at Angelina's near escape. A smirk rose to Draco's lips, however, as below Bole performed a Bludger Backbeat, sending the hard ball racing across the Pitch and slamming into the tail of Alicia's broom.  
  
The sudden jolt caused the broom to spin wildly, Alicia holding tightly to the handle, losing her grip on the Quaffle. Flint scooped the descending ball up and sped towards the Gryffindor goals, tossing the ball in an effortless arc.  
  
"Flint tosses the Quaffle, Thomas swoops to the front-looks like he might miss-and no! Thomas just pulled the dangerous Starfish with Stick, blocking the Quaffle! Just another typical stunt for the amazing Dean man!"  
  
The game continued, Slytherin gaining and passing Gryffindor, getting three Quaffles past Thomas before the Gryffindors recaptured the Quaffle. Using all the skills taught by Wood and the new skills Harry had instilled, Alicia, Angelina and Katie, backed by the Weasley twins, made four goals, much to the disgust and embarrassment of Bletchley.  
  
"The score now stands eighty to forty, Gryffindor in the lead. It looks like this game may last a while longer as neither Seeker appears to be having lu-and there goes Potter!"  
  
Harry buzzed past Draco, his eyes locking on the golden blur. Draco pulled hard on his broom, turning to follow. The Snitch led the two opponents on a wild chase. Harry looped about the base of the Slytherin goal posts, the Snitch zipping about just out of reach.  
  
"And Malfoy is keeping up with Potter! The Snitch is remaining elusive!"  
  
Draco pulled alongside Harry, his hand stretching hard for the Snitch. The two boys kept pace with each other as the Snitch swooped down to the outer trench of the Pitch. Dodging support beams, Harry's fingers finally closed around the small ball.  
  
"And Potter catches the snitch! One hundred-fifty points!"  
  
The Gryffindors began to cheer wildly, Hermione joining in, though with a slight heaviness in her heart for Draco. The Slytherin's sneered and began to call Harry and the Gryffindors all sorts of names. Just as a few Slytherin's pulled out wands, Lee's voice interrupted.  
  
"It looks like Harry's in trouble!"  
  
And indeed, he was. He had caught the Snitch, holding it high, as he swooped into the air high above to complete a victory lap. Draco had followed after him, at first thinking that Harry was still attempting to catch the Snitch. Having realized that Harry had caught it, a sneer crossed his features and he began to head back towards the ground, to join his teammates, the rest of the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams having landed already.  
  
Harry's broom suddenly lurched, causing Harry to grab tightly to it. Again it lurched, this time flipping over. Harry tried to hold on with his free hand. It proved too much, and his other hand lost its grip. He was freefalling fifty feet to the ground. A hush fell over the audience for a brief moment before everyone began to shout. Draco watched it all happen in slow motion.  
  
He watched as Hooch painstakingly reached for her broom, the rest of the Gryffindor team following her lead. His gaze landed on the eyes of his team and he saw each of their faces clearly marked with a look of hope a hope that matched his own expression; hope that Harry would plunge to his death. At that moment, he caught Hermione's eyes.  
  
Draco was the closest. It was up to him. Her eyes told him as much. He swallowed hard against his pride and suddenly turned speeding to the rapidly falling Harry. Ten feet from the ground, Draco grabbed him by the back of his uniform and spiraled quickly to the ground. Once he deposited Harry, he shouldered his broom and turned without a word, stalking off the field.  
  
~~**~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~  
  
Hermione found him on the balcony outside the Astronomy Tower after having checked on Harry in the infirmary. She stood in the doorway for a long time, her head resting on the doorjamb, as she watched him. She could see the tension in his shoulders. Slowly she crossed the stones and stood next to him, her eyes gazing out across the grounds.  
  
"You did a good thing, Draco."  
  
He snapped his head to look at her, anger flashing in his eyes.  
  
"A good thing? Damn it, Hermione, I saved Potter! I can't even begin to understand what possessed me to do something so idiotic when I could have let him-" His voice trailed off as he saw a look of sorrow in Hermione's eyes. A heavy sigh escaped him and he turned around, slumping to the ground and pulling his knees up to rest his forearms on.  
  
Hermione watched him in silence for a few moments longer before finally moving to sit next to him. Gently she placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke in a low voice.  
  
"Draco, I know that what you did today took a lot out of you. You have your fellow housemates to face. I can understand that. But still, what you did, it was a good thing."  
  
He leaned his head back on the stone railing behind him and watched the shifting clouds creep by overhead for a long moment before turning to look into Hermione's eyes. He didn't say anything as he reached a hand over and brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. He blinked a few times as he marveled that what had once been strong hate could turn into something so intensely the opposite.  
  
Hermione moved closer to him, breaking his intense gaze, and resting her head against his chest. His arm came down around her and she smiled. She didn't know why, couldn't begin to explain why, but being his arms, hearing his heart beat beneath her head, it felt perfect. She tilted her head up after a moment and caught his eyes again.  
  
"You played well today. I know that you wanted to get the Snitch, but you still played well today."  
  
"Yeah, I suppose I did alright. But someday, Hermione, someday I want to catch the Snitch when I'm playing against Potter."  
  
She smiled at him for a long moment, and then gently planted a kiss on his cheek before standing and pulling him up with her.  
  
"Come on, Draco. You need to go to the infirmary to see Harry," she said, lacing her fingers through him as she moved towards the door. She stopped abruptly when she felt him tug hard on her hand. Her head turned and she gave him a questioning look.  
  
"I'm bloody well not going to see Potter."  
  
"Draco, you have to. Now, don't be a baby and come with me." She moved again towards the door.  
  
He pulled her hard back to him and looked down into her wide eyes as he spoke in a harsh voice. "I'm not going to see Potter, Hermione. Don't push me."  
  
She wrenched from his grasp, glaring angrily at him. "And don't you dare speak to me like that again, Malfoy! I'll be with Harry. When you come to your senses, I'll speak to you." She turned on her heel and stalked back into the castle, leaving an even angrier Draco standing.  
  
After a few moments, he clenched his fists and stormed into the castle, muttering darkly under his breath. He reached the bottom of the stairs and stood silently for a moment. Letting out a breath, he leaned back against the wall, his eyes staring blankly. He couldn't believe he was letting Hermione get to him. He was a Malfoy. He did as he pleased and damn the consequences.  
  
Then the damn small voice came back. He pushed from the wall and walked to the infirmary.  
  
~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~  
  
"And then, when I was about to catch it, I had to duck under the beam! I thought I'd lost it! I still can't believe I didn't!"  
  
Harry, sitting up in the bed, gesticulated wildly with his hands as he reenacted the catch of the Snitch. Ron sat on one side of the bed, his back to the door, and a grin plastered on his face. Hermione rolled her eyes as Harry continued his story, her eyes locking onto gray as Draco strode towards the bed.  
  
For a brief moment, Draco locked eyes with Hermione before he tore them away. He reached the edge of the bed as a silence descended. For a few long moments Harry and Draco searched the other's eyes before Harry stuck out his hand.  
  
"I owe you my thanks, Malfoy."  
  
Draco glared briefly at the outstretched hand before reluctantly reaching for it and grasping it in a firm shake before pulling it back.  
  
"It was no problem."  
  
The four remained silent, no one sure how to break the silence before Draco cleared his throat lightly.  
  
"Well, see you around, Potter, Weasley," he paused, his eyes flickering to Hermione's, "Granger."  
  
Without another word he turned and swept from the infirmary, feeling his throat constrict. The small voice screamed at him to go back and apologize to Hermione, but he pushed it aside as he reached the corridors, his Malfoy side coming strongly to the forefront.  
  
He reached the top of the stairwell to the dungeons when he heard the echoing footsteps someone running down the corridor. His heart leapt as he turned, hoping that Hermione had come to find him. He suddenly wanted to tell her he was wrong, he'd been a prat.  
  
~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~  
  
Hermione sat in shock as Draco swept out of the infirmary. She could feel the sting of tears in her eyes. She couldn't remember when he'd last called her Granger. She glanced briefly at Harry and Ron; the two sat in silence. Without a word, she jumped up from her seat and ran out of the door.  
  
She reached the corridor and lurched to a halt as she saw him round the corner up ahead. Leaning back against the stonewall, she debated running after him. Finally, she gave in and pushed from the wall and ran down the corridor in the direction she had seen him go.  
  
~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~  
  
Impatiently he stood waiting for her to reach him before he took a few steps towards the echoes. His face fell, however, as around the corner flew a first year Slytherin. He stepped back and let the younger student head down the stairs before turning and following after.  
  
~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~  
  
Hermione came to an immediate halt just as she reached the final corridor before reaching the turn to the steps. A younger student flew by her as she turned and headed back to her own common room. She wasn't going to give in. If Draco had decided to be a prat, well, she'd not force him to be any different.  
  
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~Eclectia88: You are very close to what is wrong with Draco. It will all come out in a few more chapters. And thank you for your compliment.  
  
~Rebecca: Thank you so much for your review. I, too, have felt that that was missing from many Dr/Herm fics. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one.  
  
~asd: Hope that you liked what happened next.  
  
~draconas: Trust me, the orb and kisses will be coming up soon. And thank you.  
  
~CedricDiggory: Thank you for reading my story! I love having awesome readers like you. Your questions will be answered soon, I promise. As for writer's block, I didn't get that this time around. The reason for the delay was that I was attempting to write a well-written Quidditch Match. TOUGH stuff.  
  
~casper: Thank you. I'm rather a hopeless romantic myself. Your guesses about the kissing is hitting pretty close but not completely there yet. It will all come out soon, though.  
  
~Lady Mione: Thank you, 'Lici! You're the best! I've had fun writing the reactions of Ron and Harry. And the wedding, well, if Draco weren't such a prat! But, lying? That's tough to get past, you know? Okay, see you around. And don't you DARE die on me!  
  
~Dreaming One: Thank you! I hope your test went well. You'll find out what is up with Draco soon. As for the two voices, really it's just his own internal battle between who he really is and who he has been raised to believe he is.  
  
~Misty: Well, those silly chocolate frogs!! Where did they hop off to? Ideas! I love ideas! Go ahead and email them.  
  
~hedwig7up: Thank you!!!!  
  
~CatalinaRose: Yeah, well, Ethan is Ethan. I'm glad that Raven is gone, though. She was tough! And as for my story? Why thank ye kindly!  
  
~SophieBabe: Harry will have to do much thinking in the next few chapters, won't he? Draco, well, you'll find out what's wrong soon. Thank you for your compliment. It really makes me feel like I'm going in the right direction in my writing.  
  
~wellduh: Draco has a problem and it will be overcome, just not quite yet. As far as Harry's opinion on the whole thing, it will be explained a bit in the next few chapters.  
  
~Gryfyndor Girl: Thank you. You will find out all soon. The orb will not be explained for sometime, however. And, I'm glad you liked the new word.  
  
~SnapesMistress2002: You know, Ethan-well, I don't see Hermione going for his type. I mean, jumping into bed with every girl on site is just not Herm's type, do you think? Anyhow, I think that Draco will try to be civil, though I'm not sure that Ron will. What are your thoughts on Harry? Can ~he~ be civil? *grins* See you!  
  
~Snow White: Thank you.  
  
~MoshiMoshiQueen: Thank you very much. And I will keep writing.  
  
~DolceEspressivo: Thank you. What exactly is the smartest thing? And, why do they make you sick?  
  
~Draco'sAmericanGurl: I'm glad you like my story. Sorry for the delay in my new chapter. I do have AIM. I guess I should put it on my board. And, I'll keep your request in mind. 


	23. IMPORTANT NOTE

This story has been reworked and continued at fictionalley. Click on my name to go to my author page for the link.  
  
Please take the time to reread the chapters as there is much added. Including a dream sequence, interaction between Ron and someone, more about the orb, a scene between Draco and his teammates - to name a few.  
  
I hope to see you all over there. I appreciate the support that you have all given me over the past number of months. I hope to continue bringing you enjoyment through my story. There is plenty left to tell and I have hopes that this story will do nothing more than get better.  
  
Much thanks,  
  
Miri aka MoonTrail 


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